ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Question: Is it appropriate to report a syncope and collapse code with E codes for a patient who had an unspecified fall? Maine Subscriber Answer: You have multiple choices for this scenario: code E888.x (Other and unspecified fall) or a more specific code, such as E880.x (Fall on or from stairs or steps). To decide which to select, you should determine why the patient fell. If the fall is due to the syncopal episode, you may not want to consider it "unspecified." If part of the emergency department treatment is due to the fall, and another E code is more accurate (such as E880), you should report the more accurate code instead.