Procedure Practice 04/15/00 - Feature Article 04/15/00
   

Procedure Practice 04/15/00:
Coding Recommendations

  
Listed below are the ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure codes as well as the CPT-4 procedure codes that we think properly classify the treatment described. Please note that modifiers, used only for physician billing purposes, have not been assigned to the CPT-4 codes. If you disagree with our suggestions or have other comments, please send an e-mail to  codingedge@lagunamedsys.com.
   

Suggested Codes and Rationale
  

Case Summary 1:

The patient had eclampsia with seizure and no previous history of hypertension. Because the eclampsia is the cause of the seizures, assign 642.63 as the principal diagnosis: Eclampsia, antepartum condition or complication. 780.39, Other convulsions, may be assigned as a secondary diagnosis.
 

Case Summary 2:

The physician was uncertain if a child suffered a seizure when he fell. Since this was an outpatient visit, we cannot code a suspected condition as a principal diagnosis. The principal diagnosis is 924.10, Contusion of lower limb and of other unspecified sites, knee and lower leg. Code the absence seizures 345.2, Epilepsy, petit mal status, as a secondary diagnosis. Assign E826.1, Pedal cycle accident, pedal cyclist, to describe the cause of the accidental injury, and E849.0, Home, to identify the place of occurrence.
 

Case Summary 3:

The patient suffered seizures as an adverse effect of Prilosec. He also had GERD. Assign 780.39, Other convulsions, as the principal diagnosis. Assign E943.0, Drugs, medicinal and biological substances causing adverse effects in therapeutic use, antacids and antigastric secretion drugs, to identify the Prilosec as the causative agent. Also assign 530.81, Esophageal reflux, as an additional code. The lumbar puncture is coded 03.31, Spinal tap, and 62270, Spinal puncture, lumbar, diagnostic.
 

Case Summary 4:

Assign 345.41, Partial epilepsy with impairment of consciousness, with intractable epilepsy, to correctly code this case

Procedure Practice 04/15/00 - Feature Article 04/15/00