This most commonly happens during alcohol withdrawal. People who drink large amounts of alcohol and suddenly stop are at a higher-than-usual risk of seizures. About 5 percent of people detoxing from alcohol abuse will have alcohol withdrawal seizures as part of the process of quitting drinking.
What Causes Alcohol Withdrawal Seizures? There are several factors that contribute to the emergence of alcohol withdrawal seizures. The primary contributors are the neurotransmitters GABA and glutamate. These neurotransmitters are critical in dampening or amplifying, respectively, signals sent between neurons in the brain and body.
Seizures can be a severe and life-threatening complication of alcohol withdrawal. They occur in approximately 5% of people who undergo alcohol withdrawal. 1 Although having an occasional drink doesn’t normally increase the risk of seizures, people who drink heavily may have an increased risk, especially when they suddenly stop drinking. 2
Seizures. An alcohol overdose (also known as alcohol poisoning) can also cause seizures, although these seizures are typically a result of metabolic irregularities such as alarmingly low blood sugar.
5 became effective on October 1, 2021. This is the American ICD-10-CM version of G40. 5 - other international versions of ICD-10 G40. 5 may differ.
ICD-10 code F10. 239 for Alcohol dependence with withdrawal, unspecified is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders .
I would use 780.39, 980.0 with the required E codes and 305.00 (Non-dependent alcohol abuse, unspecified pattern of use) as the additional code.
ICD-10 Code for Alcohol dependence with withdrawal delirium- F10. 231- Codify by AAPC.
ICD-10 | Cerebral infarction, unspecified (I63. 9)
F10. 232 Alcohol withdrawal with perceptual disturbances. The ICD-10-CM code indicates that a moderate/ severe alcohol use disorder is present. This is because alcohol withdrawal can only occur in the presence of a moderate or severe alcohol use disorder.
G40. 89 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.
ICD-10 Code for Unspecified convulsions- R56. 9- Codify by AAPC.
Alcohol usually does not trigger seizures while the person is drinking. “Withdrawal” seizures may occur 6 to 72 hours later, after drinking has stopped.
ICD-10 Code for Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver without ascites- K70. 30- Codify by AAPC.
988.
The CIWA-Ar provides an efficient (<5 mins) and objective means of assessing alcohol withdrawal that can then be utilized in treatment protocols. Unrecognized alcohol withdrawal can lead to potentially life-threatening consequences including seizures and delirium tremens.
ICD Code F10.23 is a non-billable code. To code a diagnosis of this type, you must use one of the four child codes of F10.23 that describes the diagnosis 'alcohol dependence with withdrawal' in more detail.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a set of symptoms that can occur when an individual reduces or stops alcoholic consumption after long periods of use. Prolonged and excessive use of alcohol leads to tolerance and physical dependence.
F10.23. Non-Billable means the code is not sufficient justification for admission to an acute care hospital when used a principal diagnosis. Use a child code to capture more detail. ICD Code F10.23 is a non-billable code.