Capture ‘Chronic’ Nature of Tonsilitis Diagnosis
Question: An 8-year-old patient has come in complaining of sore throat six times over the last year. The primary care physician (PCP) documented a diagnosis of chronic tonsilitis with adenoiditis and referred the patient to a pediatric otolaryngologist for evaluation. The PCP discussed the possibility of a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy with the patient’s parent. What is the correct ICD-10-CM code for the chronic tonsilitis with adenoiditis diagnosis? Montana Subscriber Answer: As you’re coding from the physician’s documentation, your code should capture the chronic nature of the patient’s condition. In the ICD-10-CM Alphabetic Index, look for Tonsilitis/chronic/with adenoiditis, which refers you to code J35.03 (Chronic tonsillitis and adenoiditis). Make sure you check your code selection via the Tabular List. Rachel Dorrell, MA, MS, CPC-A, CPPM, Production Editor, AAPC 
