Urology Coding Alert

Don't be tempted to use F45.8.

When your urologist sees a patient with pain during urination, also known as dysuria, you currently report this condition with ICD-9 788.1 (Dysuria). All that will change as your dysuria coding expands into two options as of October 1, 2013:

• R30.0, Dysuria
• R30.9, Painful micturition, unspecified.

Documentation tip: While not completely synonymous, the term dysuria can also be documented as "strangury," a term that refers to difficulty in micturition, with straining to void; urine may be passed intermittently with pain and spasms. Either of these terms would be reported as R30.0. If the provider documents "painful urination NOS," then you should report R30.9.

Here is how you'll find this code in your Alphabetic Index:

Dysuria R30.0

• painful R30.9
• dysuria R30.0

Strangury R30.0

• frequent R35.0
• painful R30.9

Coder tips: Underneath the R30 category (Pain associated with micturition), you will find an Excludes1 note that forbids you from reporting any of these codes with psychogenic pain associated with micturition (F45.8).