Question: How should I code this? The cardiologist replaced a dual-lead pacemaker generator for end of life, but he also replaced the malfunctioning right atrial lead at the same time. Pennsylvania Subscriber Answer: You should report the different steps separately using these [...]
Question: Which diagnosis code should I use for a pacemaker battery change when the battery stops working? Georgia Subscriber Answer: The most appropriate code for replacement at the end of the expected battery life is V53.31 (Fitting and adjustment of cardiac pacemaker). [...]
Question: Our patient was referred to home care following a cholecystectomy due to acute cholecystitis. She also has a history of breast cancer and is taking Tamoxifen prophylactically. She’s had some problems with urinary retention after surgery and one of her [...]
Section for codes will change in 2015, but descriptors won’t vary much. Certain situations can lead to higher risk for your anesthesiologist during surgeries, such as when the patient has a pacemaker or automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator (AICD). Even if [...]
Look at associated symptoms until your physician gets to the final diagnosis. Though ICD-10 offers a direct one-to-one match for multiple sclerosis, you have to keep options open to report symptoms. This is because it may take a while for [...]
Remember to report associated symptoms until final diagnosis is reached. Approximately 10,000 new cases of multiple sclerosis are diagnosed each year, which means it’s not uncommon for your neurologist to treat these patients. Here’s your chance to refresh your memory [...]
V45.01 and V45.02 will become Z codes. Sometimes a patient whose case you’re coding has a pacemaker or automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator (AICD), but that’s not the reason the physician is treating the patient. You still need to include the [...]
Question: Our patient was referred to home care following a cholecystectomy due to acute cholecystitis. She also has a history of breast cancer and is taking Tamoxifen prophylactically. She’s had some problems with urinary retention after surgery and one of her [...]
Question: Our patient was referred to home health for an acute exacerbation of her multiple sclerosis. She is experiencing increased gait problems and difficulty performing activities of daily living (ADL). She has new medication and nursing will be assessing her [...]
Don’t expect to see pacemaker and AICD codes grouped the same in ICD-9 and ICD-10. When you need to indicate the presence of a pacemaker or automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator (AICD), without need for care, you’ll have to get used [...]
