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Pulmonology Coding Alert

ICD-10 Update:

J45 Shifts Focus to Severity for Asthma Reporting

Published on Tue Sep 25, 2012

Hint: Identify symptoms and medication use for accurate reporting.Asthma's very likely the most common condition your pulmonologist diagnoses, so it's vital to know the specifics of reporting this condition using ICD-10 codes before the Oct. 1, 2014 effective date.Capture ICD-9 Codes Based on EtiologyWhen reporting a diagnosis of acute exacerbation of asthma using ICD-9 codes, you will have to focus on etiology of the condition to accurately report it. When your pulmonologist arrives at a diagnosis of acute exacerbation of asthma, you will have to start with 493 (Asthma).Depending on the causative factor for the asthma, 493 will expand into the following four codes:493.0 (Extrinsic asthma) -- You report this type when asthma is caused by allergens. 493.1 (Intrinsic asthma) -- You report this type when asthma is induced after exercise or due to chemicals such as cigarette smoke, medications and cleaning agents 493.8 (Other specified asthma) 493.9 (Asthma unspecified)The codes 493.0, [...]
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