Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: Is I47.2 correct for nonsustained ventricular tachycardia?

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Answer: Yes, I47.2 (Ventricular tachycardia) is appropriate for nonsustained ventricular tachycardia.

Support: If you search tachycardia in the ICD-10 index, the entry shows “Tachycardia, ventricular (paroxysmal) (sustained) I47.2.”

Consider these quotes from the ICD-10 2017 Official Guidelines:

• “Parentheses are used in both the Alphabetic Index and Tabular List to enclose supplementary words that may be present or absent in the statement of a disease or procedure without affecting the code number to which it is assigned.”
• “The terms within the parentheses are referred to as nonessential modifiers.”

In other words, the term “(sustained)” in the entry “Tachycardia, ventricular (paroxysmal) (sustained)” is a nonessential modifier that isn’t required to be present to use the code.

You’ll also find the Index has the entry “Tachycardia, paroxysmal (sustained) (nonsustained), ventricular I47.2.” The inclusion of “(nonsustained)” in this entry further supports the use of I47.2 for nonsustained ventricular tachycardia.

Bonus tip: ICD-10 also includes I47.0 (Re-entry ventricular arrhythmia). Re-entry refers to the electrical current traveling in a loop instead of in a normal circuit. The re-entry mechanism may cause ventricular tachycardia particularly in patients with structural heart disease. You’ll see this diagnosis documented most commonly during EP exams and procedures.