Primary Care Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Origins of Blood Signal Either 569.3 or 578.1

Question: I'm not sure when I should use 569.3 and 578.1 for bloody stool. Are they one and the same?Nevada SubscriberAnswer: No. Your physician's documentation should indicate the source of the bleeding to allow you to choose the appropriate ICD-9 code.Blood in the stool usually originates from somewhere in the upper areas of the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, you would use 578.1 (Gastrointestinal hemorrhage; blood in stool). On the other hand, traces of bright red blood on the outside of the stool or on the toilet tissue usually occur from a source within the rectum or anus (569.3, Other disorders of intestine; hemorrhage of rectum and anus).
You’ve reached your limit of free articles. Already a subscriber? Log in.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe today to continue reading this article. Plus, you’ll get:
  • Simple explanations of current healthcare regulations and payer programs
  • Real-world reporting scenarios solved by our expert coders
  • Industry news, such as MAC and RAC activities, the OIG Work Plan, and CERT reports
  • Instant access to every article ever published in Revenue Cycle Insider
  • 6 annual AAPC-approved CEUs
  • The latest updates for CPT®, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, NCCI edits, modifiers, compliance, technology, practice management, and more

Other Articles in this issue of

Primary Care Coding Alert

View All

Which Codify by AAPC tool is right for you?

Call 844-334-2816 to speak with a Codify by AAPC specialist now.