Your otolaryngology coding practice throws open many challenges and presents a lot of questions. Say for instance you may be asking yourself questions like "Is there a specific diagnosis code for fungal sinusitis?"
Well, even though looking up "Sinusitis: due to: fungus, any sinus" in the Alphabet Index, Volume 2 of ICD-9-CM directs you to "117.9," a single code does not describe fungal sinusitis. You should instead use a combination of ICD-9 codes to represent the condition.
According to the initial instruction for category 110-118, Mycoses, you should use additional code to identify manifestation. List the chronic or acute sinusitis for the primary diagnosis. After this code the underlying fungal infection as the secondary diagnosis.
The following steps will tell you how:
One: Report the proper sinusitis code for sinus membrane lining inflammation. Code 461.x for acute sinusitis. For chronic sinusitis (frequent or persistent infections lasting more than three months) report 473.x. select the fifth-digit code based on where the sinusitis takes place.
For instance, for ethmoidal chronic sinusitis, you should choose Code 473.2 (Chronic sinusitis; ethmoidal).Most likely, your otolaryngologist will prescribe a decongestant, pain reliever or antibiotics to treat sinusitis.
Two: Report the ICD-9 code that represents the fungal infection. Category 117 lists various types of mycoses that offer a more specific diagnosis than 117.9 (Other and unspecified mycoses).For example, think that a patient has chronic ethmoidal sinusitis due to aspergillosis (117.3), an infection that can affect the sinuses and is caused by inhaling the fungus aspergillus, which is found in compost heaps, air vents and airborne dust. You need to enter 473.2 as diagnosis 1 and 117.3 as diagnosis 2 in Box 21 of the CMS-1500 form.
Even though the otolaryngologist may treat aspergillosis with antifungal drugs, such as amphotericin, itraconazole or voriconazole, some forms of aspergillus oppose these drugs. Therefore the physician may need to treat the patient with caspofungin, a newer antifungal drug. Your otolaryngologist can tend to more serious aspergillosis cases in the sinuses by scraping out the fungus and applying antifungal drug drops.
Well, even though looking up "Sinusitis: due to: fungus, any sinus" in the Alphabet Index, Volume 2 of ICD-9-CM directs you to "117.9," a single code does not describe fungal sinusitis. You should instead use a combination of ICD-9 codes to represent the condition.
According to the initial instruction for category 110-118, Mycoses, you should use additional code to identify manifestation. List the chronic or acute sinusitis for the primary diagnosis. After this code the underlying fungal infection as the secondary diagnosis.
The following steps will tell you how:
One: Report the proper sinusitis code for sinus membrane lining inflammation. Code 461.x for acute sinusitis. For chronic sinusitis (frequent or persistent infections lasting more than three months) report 473.x. select the fifth-digit code based on where the sinusitis takes place.
For instance, for ethmoidal chronic sinusitis, you should choose Code 473.2 (Chronic sinusitis; ethmoidal).Most likely, your otolaryngologist will prescribe a decongestant, pain reliever or antibiotics to treat sinusitis.
Two: Report the ICD-9 code that represents the fungal infection. Category 117 lists various types of mycoses that offer a more specific diagnosis than 117.9 (Other and unspecified mycoses).For example, think that a patient has chronic ethmoidal sinusitis due to aspergillosis (117.3), an infection that can affect the sinuses and is caused by inhaling the fungus aspergillus, which is found in compost heaps, air vents and airborne dust. You need to enter 473.2 as diagnosis 1 and 117.3 as diagnosis 2 in Box 21 of the CMS-1500 form.
Even though the otolaryngologist may treat aspergillosis with antifungal drugs, such as amphotericin, itraconazole or voriconazole, some forms of aspergillus oppose these drugs. Therefore the physician may need to treat the patient with caspofungin, a newer antifungal drug. Your otolaryngologist can tend to more serious aspergillosis cases in the sinuses by scraping out the fungus and applying antifungal drug drops.
