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Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Reader Question ~ Code Specific Influenza Condition

Published on Thu Jul 19, 2007

Question: When a physician orders an H. influenza antibody blood test stating that the patient has H. influenza septicemia, which ICD-9 and CPT codes should I use? 

Arkansas Subscriber Answer: Report the antibody test as 86684 (Antibody; Haemophilus influenza). The correct ICD-9 code for the patient's condition is 038.41 (Septicemia due to other gram-negative organisms; Hemophilus influenzae [H. influenzae]). You should not report 487.8 (Influenza, with other manifestations) or 041.5 (Bacterial infection in conditions classified elsewhere and of unspecified site; Hemophilus influenzae [H. influenzae]) for the patient's condition.

You should always list the most specific ICD-9 code available to describe the diagnosis, and 487.8 and 041.5 do not describe the septicemia, but only the H. influenza infection.

Reader Questions and You Be the Coder were prepared with the assistance of R.M. Stainton Jr., MD, president of Doctors- Anatomic Pathology Services in Jonesboro, Ark.
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