Pediatric Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Flex Your Coding Muscles with This Charley-Horse Case

Question: The pediatrician documents that a patient had a charley-horse. Which code is the most accurate choice?

New Hampshire Subscriber

Answer: Most likely you’ll turn to M62.831 (Muscle spasm of calf). Here’s why.

As you’ve probably already noticed, when you look the condition up in the ICD-10 index, you see two different codes

So unless the pediatrician has indicated that the condition was caused by an injury, you can rule out S76.11. You’re now left with the musculoskeletal code, which is M62.831.