Urology Coding Alert

Knowing the ‘other’ designation is key.

If a patient has polyuria, this means she is suffering from an excessive or abnormally large production of urine (over 2.5 to 3 liters per 24 hours in adults).

ICD-9-CM Code: Currently, you are reporting this condition with 788.42 (Polyuria).

ICD-10-CM Code: As of October 1, 2014, you should report R35.8 (Other polyuria) instead. You have a direct one-to-one correlation between 788.42 and R35.8.

Documentation: Your provider may document “Polyuria NOS.”

Here is how you will find this code in your alphabetic index:

Discharge (from)

    - excessive urine R35.8

Diuresis R35.8

Polyuria R35.8

Secretion

    - urinary

      - - excessive R35.8

Urine

    - discharge, excessive R35.8

    - secretion

    -- excessive R35.8

Coder tips: Do not confuse polyuria with urinary frequency. Although urinary frequency may be a clinical symptom of polyuria, report that condition with R35.0 (Frequency of micturition). Also, do not confuse polyuria with nocturia, meaning the patient wakes up at night to urinate. You would report that condition with R35.1 (Nocturia).

Underneath the R35 category, you will see a note saying, “Code, if applicable, any causal condition first ...” In the above clinical scenario the principal/first listed diagnosis would be R35.8. If symptoms were also present, the second diagnoses could be R35.0 and/or R35.1.