Are there any guidelines in the ICD 10 book stating when to use chronic or acute codes?
Postoperative Pain
The default for post-thoracotomy and other postoperative pain not specified as acute or chronic is the code for the acute form.
Chronic pain
Chronic pain is classified to subcategory G89.2. There is no time frame defining when pain becomes chronic pain. The provider’s documentation should be used to guide use of these codes.
Neoplasm Related Pain
Code G89.3 is assigned to pain documented as being related, associated or due to cancer, primary or secondary malignancy, or tumor. This code is assigned regardless of whether the pain is acute or chronic.
Chronic pain syndrome
Central pain syndrome (G89.0) and chronic pain syndrome (G89.4) are different than the term “chronic pain,” and therefore codes should only be used when the provider has specifically documented this condition.
Acute traumatic versus chronic or recurrent musculoskeletal conditions
Many musculoskeletal conditions are a result of previous injury or trauma to a site, or are recurrent conditions. Bone, joint or muscle conditions that are the result of a healed injury are usually found in chapter 13. Recurrent bone, joint or muscle conditions are also usually found in chapter 13. Any current, acute injury should be coded to the appropriate injury code from chapter 19. Chronic or recurrent conditions should generally be coded with a code from chapter 13. If it is difficult to determine from the documentation in the record which code is best to describe a condition, query the provider.
1) It would usually be best to start a new thread, rather than post a new question in a post from 5 1/2 years ago.Is there a book on nothing but Guidelines that we can purchase?