ICD-10 Update: Allow Precise Regions To Guide Your Radiculopathy Dx
Lone ICD-9 code increases to four codes in ICD-10.
Radiculopathy gets site-specific for spinal regions in ICD-10. In order to make certain that your surgeon will be ready when the Oct. 1, 2013 deadline comes, you can emphasize the need for definite region in the operative note in the documentation. Ensure your surgeon mentions the participation of one or more cervical, thoracic, lumbar or sacral regions. Read this expert medical coding advice for more. ICD-10: Review Anatomical Locations
The spine is distributed into five regions, namely the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal regions (Figure 1). There are 33 vertebrae that enclose the spinal cord. These involve the 7 cervical (C1-C7), 12 thoracic (T1-T12), 5 lumbar (L1-L5), 5 sacral (S1-S5), as well as 4 coccygeal bones. The last two regions are attached together and the rest are separated by intervertebral spaces. The coccyx is also named the tail bone. The nerves appear from the intervertebral foramina and the initial segment of the nerves near to the site of their starting point from the spinal cord is named 'nerve root'. There are essentially 31 pairs of spinal nerve roots.
One or more nerves may be inflamed, compressed, or may suffer a compromise in blood supply. This leads to neuropathy in one or more segments called radiculopathy. This may result in pain in the region that is supplied by the individual nerves.
While reporting the code(s) for the radiculopathy, the anatomical localization of the neuritis will guide you.
The regions may overlap, however the nerve roots are discrete. You may regularly encounter a numerical representation in your surgeon's notes. Get Acquainted With 4 Specific Codes ICD-9 codes for reporting radiculitis are 723.4 (Brachial neuritis or radiculitis) and 724.4 (Thoracic or lumbosacral neuritis or radiculitis, unspecified). This individual code covers the radiculopathy in the thoracic, lumber, as well as sacral regions. ICD-10 codes has four codes that are used for the definite involved region. These ICD-10 codes are as follows:
Radiculopathy gets site-specific for spinal regions in ICD-10. In order to make certain that your surgeon will be ready when the Oct. 1, 2013 deadline comes, you can emphasize the need for definite region in the operative note in the documentation. Ensure your surgeon mentions the participation of one or more cervical, thoracic, lumbar or sacral regions. Read this expert medical coding advice for more. ICD-10: Review Anatomical Locations
The spine is distributed into five regions, namely the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal regions (Figure 1). There are 33 vertebrae that enclose the spinal cord. These involve the 7 cervical (C1-C7), 12 thoracic (T1-T12), 5 lumbar (L1-L5), 5 sacral (S1-S5), as well as 4 coccygeal bones. The last two regions are attached together and the rest are separated by intervertebral spaces. The coccyx is also named the tail bone. The nerves appear from the intervertebral foramina and the initial segment of the nerves near to the site of their starting point from the spinal cord is named 'nerve root'. There are essentially 31 pairs of spinal nerve roots.
One or more nerves may be inflamed, compressed, or may suffer a compromise in blood supply. This leads to neuropathy in one or more segments called radiculopathy. This may result in pain in the region that is supplied by the individual nerves.
While reporting the code(s) for the radiculopathy, the anatomical localization of the neuritis will guide you.
The regions may overlap, however the nerve roots are discrete. You may regularly encounter a numerical representation in your surgeon's notes. Get Acquainted With 4 Specific Codes ICD-9 codes for reporting radiculitis are 723.4 (Brachial neuritis or radiculitis) and 724.4 (Thoracic or lumbosacral neuritis or radiculitis, unspecified). This individual code covers the radiculopathy in the thoracic, lumber, as well as sacral regions. ICD-10 codes has four codes that are used for the definite involved region. These ICD-10 codes are as follows:
- M54.14 (Radiculopathy, thoracic region)
- M54.15 (Radiculopathy, thoracolumbar region)
- M54.16 (Radiculopathy, lumbar region)
- M54.17 (Radiculopathy, lumbosacral region)
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