Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Question: ICD-9 lists 0 as one of the digits that can be appended to codes related to pregnancy and childbirth that require a fifth digit. The descriptor for 0 reads unspecified as to episode of care. When specifically should we use 0 as the fifth digit?

Wisconsin Subscriber  
Answer: The ICD-9 coding staff suggests that the 0 be used when you do not know whether the patient has delivered (i.e., the documentation says nothing about her pregnancy status with respect to gestation) or when the use of a fifth digit would not apply. If you are reporting termination of pregnancy caused by the condition you are listing, for example, the 0 is attached as the fifth digit to indicate that the fetus was not delivered.