Advanced Search

Pulmonology Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

493.9 Must Be a Clear Asthmatic Croup

Published on Sat Nov 20, 2010

Question: The physician diagnosed a six-month-old patient with croup. The mom describes the cough as seal-like barking and reports that the baby's symptoms are worse at night. The patient also has a family history of asthma. Does the family history mean I should code asthmatic croup, rather than croup? Answer: You should not code asthmatic croup or cough-variant asthma (493.8, Other specified asthma) in this case. Croup and asthmatic croup are two different things. The regular croup that young children get that sounds, as the mother in your case describes, like a seal barking and worsens at night is regular croup (464.4). Documentation should state "asthmatic croup" before you can use 493.8.
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

Pulmonology Coding Alert

View All