Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Question: A newborn was diagnosed with Ohtahara syndrome. Is there an ICD-9 code for this? Nevada Subscriber Answer: There is no specific listing in the current ICD-9 alphabetic index for Ohtahara syndrome and for the forthcoming year. By following ICD-9 guidelines, however, you can use 779.0 (Convulsions in newborn). The updated ICD-9-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, effective Oct. 1, has a new general coding guideline when confronted with this coding quandary: "Follow the alphabetic index guidance when coding syndromes. In the absence of index guidance, assign codes for the documented manifestations of the syndrome." Ohtahara syndrome is primarily a seizure disorder found in newborns. Therefore, you can use codes for other and ill-defined conditions originating in the perinatal period. You thus apply 779.0 Don't miss: EEG testing (95812-95822) is usuallyordered to confirm diagnosis of Ohtahara syndrome. The EEGs of infants with Ohtahara syndrome will reveal a characteristic "burst [...]