Wiki can you skip E-codes if they don't fit on the claim?

[deborahcook4040]

I have a patient with an accidental drug overdose from mixing cocaine, benzodiazepines, opiates and alcohol. My problem is that you can only fit 4 ICD codes on a claim form, and each one of those comes with a poisioning code and an E-code. I either have to skip some of the poisioning codes or all of the e-codes. This is additionally complicated by the fact that I'm coding for a neurologist and she's seeing the patient for "unresponsiveness" secondary to the above. Do I need to code the unresponsiveness? It would seem to be included with the accidental poisioning, but drug overdose doesn't seem to justify a neurologist consultation on it's own.

Help, please?

 

[mitchellde]

you use the poisioning code first ( a 900 level code) then you can code the unresponsiveness, along with the e codes last. You actually should have 8 diagnosis slots on the claim this was changed in 07 and you should have 8 lines in your electronic 1500, if not talk to your software vendor.