Encephalopathy is a general term and means brain disease, brain damage or malfunction. Physicians often use encephalopathy and altered mental status interchangeably. When coders see this documentation in the healthcare records, they typically need to query the physician for clarification of the diagnosis.
What are the four stages of hepatic encephalopathy? Stage 1: mild symptoms, such as loss of sleep and shortened attention span. Stage 2: moderate symptoms, such as memory loss and slurred speech. Stage 3: severe symptoms, including personality changes, confusion, and extreme lethargy. Stage 4: a loss of consciousness and coma.
Other encephalopathy
What to know about encephalopathy
G93. 40 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.
Z76. 89 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.
Kennedy says that if a patient's altered mental status (dementia, delirium, or psychosis) can be explained by a named brain disease such as Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease, then the term “encephalopathy” is integral to these diseases unless it is explicitly documented that the altered mental status differs ...
The guidance provided from Coding Clinic is that “encephalopathy” secondary to a CVA/stroke is not inherent to a CVA/stroke, and as such it should be coded separately with code G93. 49, Other encephalopathy.
Persons encountering health services in other specified circumstancesICD-10 code Z76. 89 for Persons encountering health services in other specified circumstances is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Factors influencing health status and contact with health services .
Persons encountering health services in other specified circumstancesZ76. 89 is a valid ICD-10-CM diagnosis code meaning 'Persons encountering health services in other specified circumstances'.
Delirium and acute encephalopathy are essentially 2 different terms describing the same condition. Delirium represents the mental manifestation while encephalopathy identifies the underlying pathophysiologic process.
"Encephalopathy" means damage or disease that affects the brain. It happens when there's been a change in the way your brain works or a change in your body that affects your brain. Those changes lead to an altered mental state, leaving you confused and not acting like you usually do.
When the encephalopathy is a principal diagnosis, auditor denials are not the issue; the real concern is with the documentation not supporting it as a reportable condition. Think of encephalopathy as on a continuum with acute confusion, delirium, and encephalopathy, because everything isn't encephalopathy.
According to 2020 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services definitions,2 toxic encephalopathy (G92), metabolic encephalopathy (G93. 41) and coma (R40) are designated as “major complication or comorbidity” (MCC), whereas unspecified encephalopathy (G93. 40) is designated as “complication or comorbidity” (CC).
Acute encephalopathy and delirium are clinically similar, but for coding purposes, very different. Delirium is a low-weighted symptom; encephalopathy is a serious, high-weighted medical condition. Delirium is usually due to an underlying encephalopathy, and clinicians should document as such if clinically present.
“ANSWER: Encephalopathy due to postictal state is not coded separately since it is integral to the condition... The postictal state is a transient deficit, occurring between the end of an epileptic seizure and the patient's return to baseline.
Encephalopathy /ɛnˌsɛfəˈlɒpəθi/ means disorder or disease of the brain. In modern usage, encephalopathy does not refer to a single disease, but rather to a syndrome of overall brain dysfunction; this syndrome can have many different organic and inorganic causes.
The ICD-10-CM Alphabetical Index links the below-listed medical terms to the ICD code G93.40. Click on any term below to browse the alphabetical index.
This is the official exact match mapping between ICD9 and ICD10, as provided by the General Equivalency mapping crosswalk. This means that in all cases where the ICD9 code 348.30 was previously used, G93.40 is the appropriate modern ICD10 code.