Some things you may notice are:
What are the clinical indicators of acute respiratory failure?
ICD-10 Code for Acute and chronic respiratory failure- J96. 2- Codify by AAPC.
J96. 20 - Acute and chronic respiratory failure, unspecified whether with hypoxia or hypercapnia. ICD-10-CM.
0 for Personal history of diseases of the respiratory system is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Factors influencing health status and contact with health services .
ICD-10-CM Code for Acute respiratory distress R06. 03.
Acute-on-chronic respiratory failure (ACRF) occurs when relatively minor, although often multiple, insults cause acute deterioration in a patient with chronic respiratory insufficiency.
A code from subcategory J96. 0, Acute respiratory failure, or subcategory J96. 2, Acute and chronic respiratory failure, may be assigned as a principal diagnosis when it is the condition established after study to be chiefly responsible for the hospital admission.
Currently, the direction states that either the acute respiratory failure or the established etiology can be sequenced first; however, we must take the circumstances of the encounter into account. Many cite the coding convention related to etiology/manifestation as dictating that the etiology must be sequenced first.
Following the note for Z71, it now states, “Code Z71. 85, Encounter for immunization safety counseling, is to be used for counseling of the patient or caregiver regarding the safety of a vaccine.
9: Fever, unspecified.
Z20. 828, Contact with and (suspected) exposure to other viral communicable diseases. Use this code when you think a patient has been exposed to the novel coronavirus, but you're uncertain about whether to diagnose COVID-19 (i.e., test results are not available).
Chronic respiratory failure is a serious illness that gets worse over time. As the condition increases in severity, people may develop an abnormal heart rhythm, stop breathing, or slip into a coma. To help meet the challenges of living with COPD, we'll send support and advice for both patients and caregivers.
The Alphabetic Index leads coding professionals to code J44. 1, COPD with (acute) exacerbation, for exacerbation of COPD. However, Coding Clinic Fourth Quarter 2017 advises to assign code J43. 9, Emphysema, unspecified, when a patient with emphysema presents with an acute exacerbation of COPD.
OFFICIAL CODING GUIDELINE Acute or acute on chronic respiratory failure may be reported as principal diagnosis when it is the condition established after study to be chiefly responsible for occasioning the admission of the patient to the hospital for care. Refer to Section II of the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting on “Selection of Principal Diagnosis”.
Look for documented signs / symptoms of: SOB (shortness of breath) Delirium and/or anxiety. Syncope. Use of accessory muscles / poor air movement.
If the documentation is not clear as to whether Acute Respiratory Failure and another condition are equally responsible for occasioning the admission, query the provider for clarification.
Very seldom is it a simple cut and dry diagnosis. There always seems to be just enough gray to give coders on any given day some doubt. It’s not only important for a coder to be familiar with the guidelines associated with respiratory failure but they should also be aware of the basic clinical indicators as well.
With any record, keep in mind that because a condition may be present on admission does not necessarily mean it qualifies for principal diagnosis. You have to ask yourself these questions:
A patient with a chronic lung disease such as COPD may have an abnormal ABG level that could actually be considered that particular patient’s baseline.