Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Question: A nurse in our private gastroenterology office was asked by the doctor to draw a sample of the patient's blood. When disposing of the sharp (needle), she stuck herself. Based on our OSHA guidelines, she and the patient will need to be tested for AIDS and other infectious diseases. Which codes should I report? Ohio Subscriber Answer: To report the accidental stick with the sharp, you should use 998.2 (Accidental puncture or laceration during a procedure) as the primary ICD-9 code. You should also report V15.85 (Exposure to potentially hazardous body fluids) as a supplementary code to further describe the circumstances of the accidental stick. Code V15.85 is one of several specific codes for describing exposure to such substances as lead and asbestos, or body fluids, which have not yet caused illness. The following codes are also useful in tracking the incidence of such exposures:

V15.8x - Other specified personal history presenting hazards to health
V15.84 - Exposure to asbestos
V15.85 - Exposure to potentially hazardous body fluids
V15.86 - Exposure to lead. Report E920.5 (Accidents caused by cutting and piercing instruments or objects; contaminated needle or needle stick) as an additional supplementary code to describe the accident.