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Pediatric Coding Alert

Test Yourself:

Sidestep 789.00 Safety Zone When You Spot 'Q' Abbreviations

Published on Wed May 27, 2009

This speed sheet keeps your abdominal pain claims ICD-9 compliant. See if youre complying with ICD-9 guidelines when reporting abdominal pain. What diagnosis would you use on the following example? CC: 5-year-old girl here today for stomach pain. HPI: Right-sided sharp abdominal pain for 1 day,worse with movement, no vomiting or diarrhea. Temp to 101 today. Last BM this morning, normal consistency. ROS: Without cough, rashes, joint pain, or urinary symptoms Exam: Constitutional: Uncomfortable, but in no acute distress. Skin: Clear; turgor: good. HENT: Pharynx benign; chest clear to auscultation. Heart: Reg rhythm, w/o murmur. Abdomen : Decreased bowel sounds in RLQ, tenderness to deep palpitation in RLQ with rebound. Rectal exam: No localized tenderness or palbable masses. Step 1: Check for Specificity If you didnt spot RLQ in the exam, you might think 789.00 (Abdominal pain, unspecified site) would be the appropriate ICD-9 code to list for the documentation. [...]
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