Pediatric Coding Alert

Answer: The pediatrician likely would have documented the term, “bulimia” or “bulimia nervosa,” in the notes if that was the diagnosis. Binge-eating disorder is its own condition and therefore has a different code.

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by the consumption of unusually large amounts of food, often thousands of calories at a time, followed by some method of purging, such as laxative abuse, vomiting, diuretics, or enemas. This condition calls for F50.2 (Bulimia nervosa).

However, binge-eating disorder is even more common, though not as commonly discussed as a disorder. Individuals with the disorder exhibit constant and prolonged behavior consisting of eating unusually large amounts of food in a relatively short period of time. The difference here, though, is that the person does not purge afterward. To code this condition, you’ll turn to F50.81 (Binge eating disorder).