Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Question: I know anemia diagnosis coding varies based on whether anemia results from malignancy or treatment. Does diagnosis coding change based on whether dehydration is due to the neoplasm or treatment? Pennsylvania Subscriber Answer: Your ICD-9 coding won't change based on whether the dehydration is due to the malignancy or the therapy. The ICD-9 official guidelines state that "when the admission/encounter is for management of dehydration due to the malignancy or the therapy, or a combination of both, and only the dehydration is being treated (intravenous rehydration), the dehydration is sequenced first,followed by the code(s) for the malignancy." What's more important for dehydration coding is knowing whether the patient presents with dehydration or hypovolemia. Here's why: The following three codes fall under volume depletion: • 276.50 -- Volume depletion, unspecified • 276.51 -- Dehydration • 276.52 -- Hypovolemia. Dehydration: You should report 276.51 for depletion of total body water, according to ICD-9. Blood [...]