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Pulmonology Coding Alert

5 Telltale Signs Mark the Way to Hassle-Free Septic Embolism Reporting

Published on Tue Jan 26, 2010

Pick out the right diagnosis based on the disease's origin. Still feeling your way into the new septic embolism ICD-9 subcategory? You know you should relegate the new code to at least the secondary diagnosis and choose a primary diagnosis based on the disease's origin, but what else should you keep in mind? We'll point you to five signs that indicate your coding is on the right track. Sign 1: You Use the New Septic Pulmonary Embolism Code In 2008, ICD-9 added a new code in its 415.1x (Pulmonary embolism and infarction) subcategory list: 415.12 (Septic pulmonary embolism). Best bet: You'll be able to specify this disease, rather than having to lump it under  an "other specified" code. Previous editions of ICD-9 before 2008 contained no entry for embolism, septic. "Septic pulmonary embolism currently would be coded to 415.19 (... other), along with codes for septicemia and sepsis, as appropriate," [...]
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