Pediatric Coding Alert

Question: Documentation indicates a six-month-old patient has croup. The mom describes the cough as seal-like barking and reports that the baby's symptoms are worse at night. The patient also has a family history of asthma. Does the family history mean I should code asthmatic croup, rather than croup?

Answer: No, croup and asthmatic croup are not the same thing. The regular croup that young children get that sounds, as the mother in your case describes, like a seal barking and worsens at night is regular croup (464.4).You should not code asthmatic croup (493.9, Asthma, unspecified) based on a family history of asthma. Look for "asthmatic croup" before you use 493.9.