Aspiration pneumonia

briggsh@uthscsa.edubriggsh@uthscsa.edu
in Clinical & Coding
Hello, 
With the new update, our coding department is saying that aspiration pneumonia defaults to non-infectious aspiration pneumonitis. So if a patient is admitted with sepsis, the documentation needs to say Sepsis due to bacterial pneumonia due to aspiration. If the documentation says, Sepsis due to aspiration pneumonia then coding says it defaults to non-infectious aspiration pneumonitis and sepsis will not be primary since it is not an infection. What are y'all's thoughts?

Thanks.
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Comments

  • briggsh@uthscsa.edubriggsh@uthscsa.edu
    Edited to added: This is based on the 10/1 update. Thanks!
  • bbogda@morrishospital.orgbbogda@morrishospital.org
    Briggsh@uthsca.edu......Is there a coding clinic regarding this change?
  • briggsh@uthscsa.edubriggsh@uthscsa.edu
    talked briefly in coding clinic 2017 quarter 1. that question addresses COPD and aspiration
  • evanspx@sutterhealth.orgevanspx@sutterhealth.org
    edited January 2019

    Given that 'sepsis' represents a systemic response causing organ dysfunctions, and that not 'all' patient with aspiration pneumonia are septic, it is my view that sepsis must be the principal diagnosis rather than any inflammation or infection of a single body system.   Even if or when the cause of sepsis may not be known, the presence of sepsis represents life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by response to infection.

    Paul Evans, RHIA, CCDS

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