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Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

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Pay Attention to Transfusion Reaction Index Change

Published on Fri Nov 13, 2009

Question: I heard that we would have a new ICD-9 code this year for transfusion reactions other than ABO incompatibility, but I don't see a new code. Should we continue to report minor blood group antigen reactions as 999.6? Texas Subscriber Answer: No, you should not continue to report minor blood group antigen transfusion reactions such as Duffy, Kell, or Lewis, as 999.6 (ABO incompatibility reaction). Instead, you should be using 999.89 as of Oct. 1. Although you are correct that ICD-9 2010 does not add a new code for these reactions, as proposed, a change in the ICD-9 index and a new "excludes" note under 999.6 should point you in the right direction. Old way: When you looked up "transfusion, blood, incompatible" in the 2009 ICD-9 alphabetic index, the entry directed you to 999.6. New way: When you look up the same entry in the 2010 ICD-9 alphabetic index, [...]
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