sepsis in another facility, transferred here?

katysuegood@gmail.comkatysuegood@gmail.com
in CDI Talk Archive
We have a patient that came into another rural hospital with a diagnosis of septic shcok with positive blood cx. He was treated there for 4 days. He developed a heart block and was transferred to our facility ot receive a pacemaker.
We are still treating him with multiple abx for the sepsis/bacteremia but the shock has resolved.

Should this patients sepsis be coded? It is my understanding that then the patient would be in the sepsis DRG with an unrelated surgical procedure.

I'm just confused where to go with this patient.

Thanks,
Katy

Comments

  • lsipos@monument.healthlsipos@monument.health
    edited May 2016
    I THINK THE PATIENT SHOULD BE CODED TO "WHAT HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO YOUR FACILITY FOR". HE WAS BEING TREATED THERE FOR THE SEPTIC SHOCK AND WAS NOT TRANSFERRED DUE TO THAT....HOWEVER, I WOULD CODE THE SEPTIC SHOCK/SEPSIS FOR MY MCC....

  • ssalinasssalinas
    edited May 2016
    The reason for admission to your facility was for pacemaker due to heart block. Consequently the heart block is principal dx. The sepsis or septicemia can be coded as a secondary dx at your facility. If the patient no longer had signs of sepsis, septicemia would be coded.

  • cynthia.a.goeweycynthia.a.goewey
    edited May 2016
    I agree...pdx is reason for transfer, sepsis would be secondary if you are still treating. We are a tertiary care facility and this is a common occurrence for us. What the primary diagnosis was at the OSH may not be our primary diag...
    Cindy

  • katysuegood@gmail.comkatysuegood@gmail.com
    Great! Thanks for the help. I think I was just getting hung up on the issue of sepsis always being the Pdx if POA. But since it wasn't the reason for admission, I guess that doesn't really apply.
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