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Primary Care Coding Alert

Case Study:

Learn When to Code Anaphylaxis Versus Allergic Reaction

Published on Wed Jun 15, 2011

Tip: Count the number of body systems involved to make the right choice.Summertime is here, which means many of your patients will be spending more time outdoors. If a patient presents to your office with complications following a bee sting, how do you know whether to report an allergic reaction or something more serious, such as anaphylaxis? Consider the following case, then check out our expert's advice on how to handle similar situations.Scenario: A 62-year-old woman develops generalized hives after a bee sting. She suddenly starts wheezing, so her husband brings her to your physician for treatment.Identify the Reaction ReasonYour first thought might be to assign an allergic reaction diagnosis for the patient -- but that's not your best choice in this case. Although allergic reactions are a type of anaphylaxis, grouping them together when it's time to code will not only result in the wrong ICD-9 code, but will also [...]
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