Choose Single Code for These Paralysis Patients
Question: Encounter notes indicate that a patient suffers from sudden, unexplained muscle paralysis in the legs and hips, occurring three or four times in the past six months. The episodes usually last a few minutes, but the patient says the last paralysis bout went on for nearly an hour. The patient reports that their hips and legs feel heavy when the paralysis hits, and their reflexes are compromised. The physician diagnoses the patient with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis. How should I report this condition? Do I need to code for hyperkalemia and periodic paralysis? Oregon Subscriber Answer: You’ll only need a single ICD-10-CM code for this patient: G72.3 (Periodic paralysis). Per the instructions beneath the entry for G72.3, you’ll choose the code when the physician diagnosis any one of the following: According to AAPC’s Codify, “periodic paralysis refers to a muscle disorder that is caused by defective sodium, chloride, calcium, and potassium channel blockers. Imbalance of these minerals causes poor signaling from the brain to muscles and makes them weak and immobile.” Patients with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis suffer the condition due to an elevated level of potassium. Chris Boucher, MS, CPC, Senior Development Editor, AAPC
