Otolaryngology Coding Alert
Breathe Easy When Coding Asthma Visits
Question: One of our asthma patients presented with a little chest tightness and required a Singulair prescription renewal. Does the chest tightness mean I should code this as "exacerbated"? Answer: Don't let the extra asthma code options confuse you. When an asthma patient presents with severe wheezing or a recognizable asthma attack, you can report acute exacerbation code 493.02 (Asthma, extrinsic asthma; with [acute] exacerbation). The physician should indicate "wheezing," "status asthmaticus" or "exacerbated asthma" as the patient's chief complaint in the documentation. - Information for Reader Questions and You Be the Coder provided by a number of coding experts, including Susan Callaway, CPC, CCS-P, an independent coding consultant and educator in North Augusta, S.C.; and Kathy Pride, CPC, CCS-P, a coding consultant for QuadraMed in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Georgia Subscriber
In the scenario you describe, however, the patient was not in distress. Therefore, assign a fifth-digit of "0" to the code. This visit is a controlled extrinsic asthma visit, so you should report 493.00 (... unspecified) and link it to the E/M code.
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Breathe Easy When Coding Asthma Visits
Question: One of our asthma patients presented with a little chest tightness and required a [...]
