Primary Care Coding Alert

Question: What is the ICD-9 code for "easy bruising"? Answer: Easy bruising is a symptom of another condition rather than a standalone diagnosis. Therefore, the ICD-9 code depends on whether or not the family physician identified a cause. If a cause is identified, then code for the specific disease. If, however, no cause is pinpointed, then code for the symptoms. For easy bruising with no identifiable cause, report 782.7 (Spontaneous ecchymoses). An individual may be suffering from other diseases that predispose him to develop bruises even with minimal trauma (such as a light rap on the hands), which otherwise will not happen to normal people, hence resulting in "easy bruising." Diseases that could result in this include platelet or coagulation disorders (thrombocytopenias), bone marrow disorders, hemophilias, liver diseases, and Marfan's syndrome. Aging and medications (for example, aspirin, prednisone, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can also cause easy bruising. For patients [...]