If a patient is admitted with pneumonia and the doctor documents that patient is in Acute respiratory distress are we able to use the acute respiratory distress as a CC in ICD 10.
We have not since it now codes to acute respiratory distress syndrome J80 if code: distress, respiratory, adult. These patients do not have ARDS so this is incorrect. If you choose respiratory distress unspecified it codes to dyspnea.
Teach your MD's that acute respiratory distress = ARDS and you don't want to assign that unless the patient truly has ARDS. This changed with the implementation of ICD-10.
We do not capture acute respiratory distress as J80 unless physician documents acute respiratory distress syndrome for the reasons stated by Amy and Jeff above. We will capture the symptom code for dyspnea and any other documented symptoms (ie hypoxia).
Comments
Teach your MD's that acute respiratory distress = ARDS and you don't want to assign that unless the patient truly has ARDS. This changed with the implementation of ICD-10.
Jeff
Jackie Touch