Don’t Forget to Check Excludes1 Notes
Question: A provider diagnosed a 3-week-old patient with an unspecified tachycardia, and I reported R00.0. When I’ve reported this code on claims in the past, they’re usually paid, but this one was denied. Is there a better code to use? Maryland Subscriber Answer: If you look at the ICD-10-CM Tabular List for R00.0 (Tachycardia, unspecified) you’ll see an Excludes1 note for “neonatal tachycardia.” The neonatal period is approximately 0-28 days of age. If you look at the Tabular List entry for P29.- (Cardiovascular disorders originating in the perinatal period), you’ll see P29.1- (Neonatal cardia dysrhythmia). Just below, you’ll find P29.11 (Neonatal tachycardia). Since the patient was approximately 21 days old (or at least less than 4 weeks old), rely on the neonatal-specific code P29.11. Rachel Dorrell, MA, MS, CPC-A, CPPM, Development Editor, AAPC
