Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert
Look to H44.3 Section for Chalcosis
Question: Our ophthalmologist saw a patient in the hospital who had been admitted by a gastroenterologist for copper poisoning. The ophthalmologist created a treatment plan to alleviate the copper deposits in the patient's lens capsule and diagnosed the patient with chalcosis in both eyes. Which code should we report for the copper toxicity? Codify Subscriber Answer: Because the ophthalmologist specifically treated the bilateral chalcosis, the best code choice is H44.313 (Chalcosis, bilateral). If you know the details or cause of the copper toxicity, you can report additional codes as secondary or tertiary diagnoses. For instance, T56.4X4 (Toxic effect of copper and its compounds, undetermined) or Z77.018 (Contact with and [suspected] exposure to other hazardous metals). Only report the additional codes if they are documented in the medical record and confirmed by the physician.
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