Pediatric Coding Alert

Question: We're trying to get up to speed on the ICD-9 2008 diagnoses that became effective Oct. 1? What are the main ones we should be aware of?

Vermont Subscriber

Answer: You didn't miss the hoopla over new and revised 2008 ICD-9 codes for pediatric practices because there weren't major changes to your most frequently used diagnoses. Nevertheless, before reprinting your super bill for 2008, make sure to check it for outdated or inaccurate codes.

Best practice: Want an easy way to alert staff to the new diagnoses they'll need to use? Print a copy of your revised ICD-9 encounter form, circle the affected codes and post the sheet on your bulletin board.

Check your current sheet for changes to these diagnoses:

Infant botulism: ICD-9 2008 introduces new non-food-borne botulism code 040.41 (Infant botulism). The disease occurs most often in infants younger than 6 months who've ingested-C. botulinum spores.

Parvovirus: Give this virus its own code: 079.83 (Parvovirus B19).

Roseola: Replace 057.8 with 058.10 (Roseola infantum, unspecified). You'll use this code unless you have a positive lab result for the specific type of virus (human herpesvirus [HHV] 6: 058.11 or HHV-7: 058.12) that caused the infection.

Tool: For more details on these disease code changes, see "Upcoming Diagnostic Changes Revealed: Alter Your Classification of This Common Childhood Disease" in Pediatric Coding Alert, 2007, Vol. 10, No. 7.