Full Answer
Inclusion Criteria For ischaemic stroke, the main codes are ICD-8 433/434 and ICD-9 434 (occlusion of the cerebral arteries), and ICD-10 I63 (cerebral infarction). Stroke is a heterogeneous disease that is not defined consistently by clinicians or researchers [35].
ICD-10 code G46.3 for Brain stem stroke syndrome is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range -Episodic and paroxysmal disorders .
ICD-10-CM I67. 81 is grouped within Diagnostic Related Group(s) (MS-DRG v39.0): 061 Ischemic stroke, precerebral occlusion or transient ischemia with thrombolytic agent with mcc.
When a patient has a history of cerebrovascular disease without any sequelae or late effects, ICD-10 code Z86. 73 should be assigned.
For ischaemic stroke, the main codes are ICD-8 433/434 and ICD-9 434 (occlusion of the cerebral arteries), and ICD-10 I63 (cerebral infarction).
I63. 50 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes. The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM I63. 50 became effective on October 1, 2021.
An ischemic stroke occurs when blood clots or other particles block the blood vessels to the brain. Fatty deposits called plaque can also cause blockages by building up in the blood vessels.
Cognitive deficits following cerebral infarction The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM I69. 31 became effective on October 1, 2021. This is the American ICD-10-CM version of I69. 31 - other international versions of ICD-10 I69.
ICD-9-CM Diagnosis Code 434.91 : Cerebral artery occlusion, unspecified with cerebral infarction.
In ICD-10 CM, code category I63 should be utilized when the medical documentation indicates that an infarction or stroke has occurred.
Explicitly document findings to support diagnoses of › Stroke sequela codes (ICD-10 category I69.-) should acute stroke, stroke and subsequent sequela of be used at the time of an ambulatory care visit stroke, and personal history of stroke without sequela, oce, which is considered subsequent to any acute
stroke occurs when there is disruption of blood flow to brain tissue, this leads to ischemia (deprivation of oxygen) and potentially infarction (dysfunctional scar tissue). Strokes can be either hemorrhagic, or embolic/thrombotic. Hemorrhagic strokes occur as a result of a ruptured cerebral blood vessel. Embolic/thrombic strokes occur as a result of an obstructed cerebral vessel.
Computerized databases such as Medicare claims files and hospital administrative records are increasingly being used to identify patients with acute stroke for epidemiological, quality of care, and cost studies. 123 These databases rely on patient diagnoses as classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM). However, the accuracy of ICD-9-CM coding for the identification of incident strokes can be poor. For example, separate community-based studies in Rochester, Minnesota, and Cincinnati, Ohio, found that only 46% to 47% of patients with a primary diagnosis code of 430 to 438 (Table 1) had an incident stroke. 34 Other investigators have found that limiting the identifying ICD-9-CM code to the primary position in administrative databases increased the proportion of patients accurately classified as having a stroke on subsequent review of their medical records. 5 In agreement with other work, this study also found that the accuracy of the ICD-9-CM classification depended on the specific code that was used. Only 15% of patients with code 433 were symptomatic for the index hospital admission. In contrast, 85% of patients with code 434 and 77% of those with code 436 had ischemic strokes. Based on these data, it is apparent that if a study intends to identify all patients in a given setting with an acute stroke based on ICD-9-CM codes, discharge summary review would be required to eliminate the high proportion of nonstroke cases. However, if the goal of a study is to follow trends or patterns of care, then identification of subpopulations with a high likelihood of having stroke would be advantageous because doing so could eliminate the need for extensive review of patients’ medical records.
Methods —Available hospital charts for all patients discharged from a single hospital between May 1995 and June 1997 with ICD-9-CM codes 433 (occlusion and stenosis of precerebral arteries), 434 (occlusion of cerebral arteries), or 436 (acute but ill-defined cerebrovascular disease) listed in the first position were reviewed. The primary discharge diagnosis was verified, and a presumed stroke subtype was assigned on the basis of information provided in the medical record.
Approximately 50% to 60% of patients given codes indicating unspecified causes for stroke had an etiology established during the hospitalization as reflected in their discharge summaries. Although discharge coding is not typically done by neurologists (or physicians in general), accuracy may not necessarily be improved with further training of the coders. One study presented a series of case scenarios to a group of neurologists who were asked to assign specific discharge ICD-9 codes (which included a variety of modifier codes). 7 The chance corrected interobserver reliability of the classifications (kappa score) was 0.38, indicating only fair levels of agreement among the raters. 8
Background and Purpose —Discharge ICD-9-CM ( International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification) codes have been used to identify patients with acute stroke for epidemiological, quality of care, and cost studies. The aim of this study was to determine if the accuracy of the primary ICD-9-CM codes for ischemic stroke is improved by modifier codes and how specific codes reflect stroke subtype diagnoses.
However, if the goal of a study is to follow trends or patterns of care, then identification of subpopulations with a high likelihood of having stroke would be advantageous because doing so could eliminate the need for extensive review of patients’ medical records.
In ICD-10 CM, code category I63 should be utilized when the medical documentation indicates that an infarction or stroke has occurred. Coding of sequelae of stroke and infarction also demands a level of detail often missing in medical records. There are specific codes which indicate the cause of the infarction, such as embolism or thrombosis, as well as the specific affected arteries. The sixth digit provides additional information which designates the affected side when applicable.
Seek answers to two questions when coding a stroke, infarction, or hemorrhage. First, ask if the cerebral event is acute, or emergent. Second, find in the medical record details of the site and the site, laterality, and type of stroke or infarction. Medical record documentation should clearly specify the cause-and-effect relationship between the medical intervention and the cerebrovascular accident in order to assign a code for an intraoperative or postprocedural cerebrovascular accident.
If a patient has a history of a past cerebrovascular event and has no residual sequelae, report Z86.73 Personal history of transient ischemic attack (TIA ), and cerebral infarction without residual deficits.
The patient is admitted into hospital and diagnosed with cerebral infarction, unspecified ( ICD-10 code I63.9). At the 3-week post-discharge follow-up appointment for the cerebral infarction, the office visit note states the patient had a stroke and has a residual deficit of hemiplegia, affecting the right dominant side.
Also code any documented atrial fibrillation, CAD, diabetes, or hypertension as these comorbidities are stroke risk factors.
Report any and all neurological deficits of a cerebrovascular accident that are exhibited anytime during a hospitalization, even if the deficits resolve before the patient is released from the hospital.
If the provider is not specific in recording the site of a stroke or infarction, it is permissible for coders to use the accompanying CT scans or other radiological reports to report the specific anatomic site.
While the majority of stroke diagnoses outside of the diagnostic radiology setting will not include enough supplementary information to code beyond I63.9 Cerebral infarction, unspecified, you should be prepared if, and when, the clinical encounter presents itself.
A stroke alert may be included as a supplementary diagnosis when the patient’s signs and symptoms are indicative of a possible stroke. However, the impression of the dictation report will have final say as to whether a stroke is revealed in the imaging scan.
While there’s a clear-cut diagnosis (G45.9 Transient cerebral ischemic attack, unspecified) for a TIA, it’s often the surrounding speculative documentation that leads you to question the original diagnosis. While a TIA is often referred to as a “mini stroke,” from an ICD-10-CM coding perspective, it’s important to keep the two diagnoses entirely separate.
This could yield an indication exclusively involving signs and symptoms, or it could offer a more straightforward diagnosis of stroke or stroke alert. If the indication states “stroke,” and the scan does not reveal a cerebral infarction, send the report back to the provider for an addendum.
As defined by the NCHS, a disease is to be considered chronic if its symptoms last more than three months. Formulating the series of steps from which a hyperacute stroke becomes chronic is not as straightforward — in part because no universal set of guidelines exists to help elaborate on those distinctions.
This second scenario will only occur if you’re coding an imaging study on the cerebral arteries, such as a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) or computed tomography angiography (CTA). That’s because angiographies, or arteriograms, image the perfusion of the cerebral arteries. A traditional computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan evaluates the parenchyma of the brain. These scans will show the result of an occluded artery (i.e., stroke), but not the occlusion itself. This means that if you’re working on a traditional MRI or CT scan of the brain, you don’t need to be on the lookout for any underlying embolism, occlusion, stenosis, or thrombosis diagnoses.
If not, there’s a possibility that the patient’s symptoms are the result of a TIA, but without a definitive TIA diagnosis, you should code only the signs and symptoms. Coder’s note: A TIA diagnosis, unlike a stroke diagnosis, can be coded from the indication.