What do the categories of drug table e-codes really mean? I am not sure what is meant by "accidental" when it comes to recreational drug use. If someone overdoses on heroin and the physician circles that it was accidental, are we supposed to select the e-code for an accident? The physician is trying to specify that the patient was not trying to kill himself, but to me, accident signifies that the drug use was unintentional or that the quantity taken was unintentional. Recreational drug use is not accidental. Should I instead take that accident e-code as meaning that the result (overdose) was the thing that was unintentional? I have used the undetermined code when it comes to recreational drug use, although I'm not really happy with that, either.
Would really appreciate an authoritative explanation of correct coding in this situation.
Would really appreciate an authoritative explanation of correct coding in this situation.
