Coding from cardiac cath/angioplasty report

A patient with NSTEMI was transferred from another facility after 2 day stay for cardiac cath. Cath report signed by MD states complete occlusion of RCA at ostial with collateral distally and basal inferior wall akinesis, LVEF 55% will treat medically.

Patient stayed 2 nights. Treated with plavix.

Coder states cannot code the MI or RCA occlusion, etc stating she cannot code diagnoses from the physician's cardiac cath report. Trying to determine why cannot code from signed cath report.

Coded as:
414.00 coronary atherosclerosis native vessel
411.1 Intermediate coronary syndrome
and the LHC & coronary arteriogram was coded

Does this sound correct?

Comments

  • If direct transfer from acute care facility for ongoing care of an AMI, the AMI is the principle. I would code directly from the Catheter Report as this most likely contains the most specific evaluation of the patient; only possible 'exception' would be if there is dissonance charted, in which case query the Attending.



    Paul Evans, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CCDS
     
    Manager, Regional Clinical Documentation & Coding Integrity
    Sutter West Bay
    633 Folsom St., 7th Floor, Office 7-044
    San Francisco, CA 94107
    Cell:  415.412.9421

    evanspx@sutterhealth.org



  • My understanding of the rules are that the information is codeable from a procedure report as long as it is a "treating" physician which in the case of a cardiac cath it would meet that criteria. This is different than a if it was a path report or radiology report where the physician was simply provided a diagnostic reading. We code from cath reports quite often.

    ___________________________

    A patient with NSTEMI was transferred from another facility after 2 day stay for cardiac cath. Cath report signed by MD states complete occlusion of RCA at ostial with collateral distally and basal inferior wall akinesis, LVEF 55% will treat medically.

    Patient stayed 2 nights. Treated with plavix.

    Coder states cannot code the MI or RCA occlusion, etc stating she cannot code diagnoses from the physician's cardiac cath report. Trying to determine why cannot code from signed cath report.

    Coded as:
    414.00 coronary atherosclerosis native vessel
    411.1 Intermediate coronary syndrome
    and the LHC & coronary arteriogram was coded

    Does this sound correct?


  • edited May 2016
    Agree that MI should be principle with a direct transfer if the MI has not yet resolved and the MI is documented in your hospital's medical record. If it is not, then a query might be necessary since complete occlusion of coronary artery does not automatically code to an AMI.

    In general, the coder can and should use diagnoses from op/procedure reports unless there is discrepancy between attending and cardiologist documentation in which case a query would be necessary.

    This if from CC 1992 5th
    Question:
    A patient was transferred to Hospital B after six days treatment in Hospital A for a myocardial infarction (MI). The principal diagnosis on the medical record at Hospital B was listed as "coronary atherosclerosis" with "acute MI inferior wall" listed as a secondary diagnosis. A cardiac catheterization during the admission at Hospital B revealed severe disease in the right coronary artery with 75% narrowing in the left anterior descending artery. On transfer to Hospital B, the patient continued to receive treatment for the MI and continued to have angina. Wouldn't it be more correct to keep using code 410.41, Acute myocardial infarction of other inferior wall, as the principal diagnosis on the admission to Hospital B?

    Answer:
    [Note from 3M:
    As of October 1, 1994, code 414.0 has been expanded to fifth digits to indicate specific site of coronary atherosclerosis.]

    Yes, code 410.41 would be the principal diagnosis for the admission to Hospital B since the MI had not yet resolved. Code 414.0, Coronary atherosclerosis, would also be assigned as a secondary diagnosis.



    Sharon Salinas, CCS
    Health Information Management
    Barlow Respiratory Hospital
    2000 Stadium Way, Los Angeles CA 90026
    Tel: 213-250-4200 ext 3336
    FAX: 213-202-6490
    ssalinas@barlow2000.org


  • edited May 2016
    Correction to CC reference. It is from CC 5th Issue 1993.

    Sharon Salinas, CCS
    Health Information Management
    Barlow Respiratory Hospital
    2000 Stadium Way, Los Angeles CA 90026
    Tel: 213-250-4200 ext 3336
    FAX: 213-202-6490
    ssalinas@barlow2000.org


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