Pulmonology Coding Alert

Acute or chronic? Count the ways! Facing the task of reporting pulmonary embolism can be confusing if you don't arm yourself with the right information. Put an end to your struggles by identifying the details of an existing clot. Paint an Accurate Picture Using Pulmonary Embolism Newbie In 2009, ICD-9 debuted 416.2 (Chronic pulmonary embolism). This code comes in handy when a patient with unexplained dyspnea (786.09) or with a history of pulmonary hypertension (416.8) displays evidence of pulmonary embolism on a CT scan or pulmonary angiogram, without evidence of a recent event, notes Philip Marcus, MD, MPH, FACP, FCCP, chief of pulmonary medicine at the St. Francis Hospital Heart Center in Roslyn, N.Y. Use 416.2 to explain chronic symptoms rather than a new, acute pulmonary embolism, which you'd report using 415.11 (Iatrogenic pulmonary embolism and infarction), 415.12 (Septic pulmonary embolism), or 415.19 (Pulmonary embolism and infarction; other). Advantage: When [...]