Wiki coding anticoagulant following stroke

[alamphere]

We are having a debate within our coding team and would appreciate some input.

When a patient is on an anticoagulant as a preventive measure following a stroke with no residual effects, I believe we would code Z79.01 long-term use of anticoagulant and Z86.73 history of CVA. A fellow coder says we are to code Z79.01 and 163.9 CVA because the condition of stroke is still being treated so it is still a current condition.

If you can provide specific sources to support either position, I would be grateful.

 

[thomas7331]

I agree with you on this - if it's being given as a preventive measure to prevent a future stroke, then it's not treating a current condition. If the record is not clear whether the patient is currently having and active stroke or not, then the provider should be queried, however in most cases a stroke in the past that has left no residual effects is not going to be a current condition. Strokes are not like cancers where the diseases may be treated even after the tumor is excised and are therefore coded as current conditions, so strokes do not fall under those coding guidelines - perhaps that is where you colleague is getting confused.