Empirically treated conditions

cgray1

Does an empirically treated condition get coded? For example, there is documentation that the physician is “empirically treating a patient for c-diff with Vancomycin PO”. Testing was negative for c-diff. I thought I read somewhere that you don’t code it if it’s empirically being treated.

Thanks,

Crystal Gray RN, BSN, CCDS
Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist
100 Hospital Road
Prince Frederick, Maryland 20678
410-414-4866
Cgray1@cmhlink.org