Urology Coding Alert
Urosepsis Doesn't Equal Septicemia
Question: Florida Subscriber Answer: No. You should not use 038.9 (Unspecified septicemia) for urosepsis. The term urosepsis means a urinary tract infection (UTI). Instead of ICD-9 code 038.9, use 599.0 (Urinary tract infection, site not specified). Look up urosepsis in the ICD-9 manual, and you'll find the recommended code is 599.0. Pointer: When you see urosepsis, go back and ask the urologist if he is treating a simple UTI or sepsis due to UTI. If all he says is "urosepsis," then code the UTI. -- Answers to Reader Questions and You Be the Coder contributed by Michael A. Ferragamo, MD, FACS, clinical assistant professor of urology, State University of New York, Stony Brook.
Urology Coding Alert
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Urosepsis Doesn't Equal Septicemia
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