Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Question: A physician ordered a hepatic function panel for a 32-week pregnant patient with suspected Hepatitis C based on symptoms of pruritus. How should we code this?

Codify Subscriber

Answer: You should bill test as 80074 (Acute hepatitis panel).

A general rash in pregnancy may be an indication of either Hepatits C or liver disease. But you should not code a suspected condition for the diagnosis in ICD-10. Instead, report the signs or symptoms that are reasons for the test.

In this case, that means you should list O99.713 (Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue complicating pregnancy, third trimester), L29.9 (Pruritus, unspecified), and Z3A.32 (32 weeks gestation of pregnancy).