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Otolaryngology Coding Alert

ICD-10:

Find Out How ICD-10-CM Will Impact "Impacted Cerumen" Code 380.4

Published on Wed May 30, 2012

Remember to choose the code with the highest specificity.Currently, you have one way to report an impacted cerumen, but that changes when ICD-10 goes into effect. You will have to scan your physician's notes to determine where this condition occurs.Impacted cerumen, otherwise known as wax in the ear, can affect both children and adults. The condition occurs when layers of wax within the ear canal build up in the point of blocking the canal and putting pressure on the eardrum. Cerumen is most likely to become impacted when it is pushed against the eardrum by objects people put in their ears, or when it is trapped against the eardrum by a hearing aid. Less common causes include overproduction of earwax or an abnormally narrow ear canal that tends to trap the wax. Partial loss of hearing is the most important symptom of cerumen impaction. Other symptoms can be itching, tinnitus [...]
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