Wiki Coding viral illness

[preema]

Hello,

Can anybody help me with this.

Assesment includes pharyngitis, papules on ear and viral illness.

My concern is whether we need to omit viral illness as code for viral illness(079.89) excludes pharyngitis(462) or can include viral illness as code for
papules(709.8) is not excluding viral illness.

Thanks.

 

[Lisa Bledsoe]

I would code 462, 709.8, 079.99 in that order, if that is the order in which the diagnoses are documented.

 

[preema]

Thank you Lisa.

For viral infection and viral syndrome we use the code 079.99. But we assign 078.89 for viral illness since in the alphabetic index, illness directs us to disease and disease viral is 078.89.

 

[Lisa Bledsoe]

I would use 079.99 "unspecified viral infection" unless the type of virus is specified by the provider but there is no current ICD-9 for that specific virus - then I would use 079.89 "other specified viral infection".

 

[preema]

Thank you Lisa for your information.

 

[scottshar]

Viral infection

Does anyone know if pt has been diagnosed with viral infection, nasal congestion, pharyngitis, fever; Do you code only the viral infection code B34.9 or do you list the symptoms as well as the B34.9?

Thank you!