How Many Codes Are Needed for UTI, Hydronephrosis, and Kidney Stone Diagnoses?
Question: Our urologist diagnosed a patient with an acute urinary tract infection (UTI) and hydronephrosis due to a kidney stone. How do we report these three diagnoses? AAPC Forum Subscriber Answer: Use N13.6 (Pyonephrosis) to report all three conditions happening simultaneously. In the ICD-10-CM Alphabetic Index, search for Hydronephrosis > with > obstruction (by) (of) > renal calculus > with infection, which directs you to N13.6. Turn to the Tabular List to verify the code. Under N13.6 in the Tabular List, you’ll find “Conditions in N13.0-N13.5 with infection” as an inclusion term. This means that you don’t need an additional code for the UTI. Mike Shaughnessy, BA, CPC, Production Editor, AAPC
