Choose the Correct Conjunctivitis Code
Question: A 31-year-old established patient presents to their optometrist with itchiness and redness in both eyes. The patient said they’ve been spending time in the garden over the past week. The optometrist performed an eye exam and diagnosed the patient with allergic conjunctivitis. The provider prescribed antihistamine eye drops. What diagnosis codes should I report? Kansas Subscriber Answer: You’ll assign H10.13 (Acute atopic conjunctivitis, bilateral) to report the allergic conjunctivitis diagnosis. In the ICD-10-CM Alphabetic Index, search for Conjunctivitis > allergic (acute), which redirects you to look for Conjunctivitis > acute > atopic. When you verify the code in the Tabular List, you’ll discover that H10.1- (Acute atopic conjunctivitis) requires a 5th character to identify the laterality. Use “3” as the 5th character to show that the condition is occurring in both eyes. Acute atopic conjunctivitis is a type of allergic conjunctivitis that occurs suddenly. The condition usually is caused by contact with airborne allergens like pollen, animal hair, dusts, and spores. Mike Shaughnessy, BA, CPC, Production Editor, AAPC
