Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Polysomnography is one way an ENT may use to confirm OSA.In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), pauses in breathing (greater than 10 seconds at a time) occur because the airway has become narrowed, blocked, or floppy. One symptom of OSA is snoring. To diagnose OSA, an otolaryngologist will provide a thorough examination of the nose, mouth, throat, palate, and neck, often using a fiberoptic scope. You would report 327.23 for patients suffering from OSA.ICD difference: When using the ICD-9-CM code set, you report 327.23 (Obstructive sleep apnea [adult] [pediatric]) if the patient gets diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. Effective October 2013, ICD-9 327.23 becomes G47.33 (Obstructive sleep apnea [adult] [pediatric]) in ICD-10. The conversion to ICD-10 will offer no difference. In fact, G47.33's descriptor is a carbon copy depiction of ICD-9's 327.23.Documentation: When diagnosing a sleep disorder such as OSA, a physician may have the patient complete a questionnaire to obtain [...]