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Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

You Be the Coder:

Look to Documentation for ‘Acute’ or ‘Chronic’ Designation

Published on Fri Jul 14, 2023

Question: How can I tell if a condition is “acute” or “chronic?” Our pathologist examined a tonsillectomy specimen with a diagnosis of tonsillitis. I’m confused about how to choose between the acute and chronic tonsillitis ICD-10-CM codes. Is there a specific time limit that distinguishes the two? Georgia Subscriber Answer: Unfortunately, ICD-10-CM guidelines and other authoritative sources don’t provide a [...]
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