Pediatric Coding Alert

Question: We have an infant who came in with diaper rash caused by yeast. Do I code this as regular diaper rash, as a yeast infection, or do I code both conditions together?

Montana Subscriber

Answer: The correct coding for this is B37.2 (Candidiasis of skin and nail) as primary, and L22 (Diaper dermatitis) as secondary. Here’s why:

Diaper rashes are caused either by irritants such as urine or feces, allergic reactions to diaper materials or baby wipes, or yeast infections; and which code you select depends on what kinds of details are provided. Diagnosis coding for the condition is usually as simple as L22 (Diaper dermatitis), which covers diaper erythema, diaper rash, and psoriasiform diaper rash.

In the case of a yeast infection, however, you’ll also want to code B37.2 which lists L22 as an Excludes2 code. That means that both conditions can occur at the same time, enabling you to code both together. In terms of sequencing, if the etiology of the diaper rash is known to be yeast, and the infectious agent is the subject of the treatment, B37.2 would be the primary diagnosis.