You Be the Coder:
Order Matters When Coding Breathing Difficulty
Published on Thu Feb 02, 2023
Question: A patient with a history of asthma (controlled by medication) came in complaining of congestion, a bad cough, and difficulty breathing. The provider diagnosed a common cold and prescribed temporary use of a steroid inhaler to address the asthmatic cough exacerbated by the cold. Do I code the asthma first or the cold? Oregon Subscriber Answer: You’ll code the cold first, [...]