Short description: Acute respiratry failure. ICD-9-CM 518.81 is a billable medical code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis on a reimbursement claim, however, 518.81 should only be used for claims with a date of service on or before September 30, 2015.
res·pi·ra·to·ry in·suf·fi·cien·cy Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word respiratory insufficiency. U.S. National Library of Medicine (0.00 / 0 votes) Rate this definition: Respiratory Insufficiency Failure to adequately provide oxygen to cells of the body and to remove excess carbon dioxide from them. (Stedman, 25th ed)
What to know about acute respiratory failure
Respiratory failure is defined by low blood oxygen levels and there may also be raised blood carbon dioxide levels. There are various causes of respiratory failure, the most common being due to the lungs or heart. The lung disorders that lead to respiratory failure include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and pneumonia.
ICD-10-CM Code for Acute respiratory failure, unspecified whether with hypoxia or hypercapnia J96. 00.
Respiratory failure, unspecified, unspecified whether with hypoxia or hypercapnia. J96. 90 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.
ICD-9 Code 518.83 -Chronic respiratory failure- Codify by AAPC.
ICD-10-CM Code for Chronic respiratory failure, unspecified whether with hypoxia or hypercapnia J96. 10.
Respiratory insufficiency: The condition in which the lungs cannot take in sufficient oxygen or expell sufficient carbon dioxide to meet the needs of the cells of the body. Also called pulmonary insufficiency.
Respiratory insufficiency and failure can be defined broadly as the impairment of respiratory gas exchange between the ambient air and circulating blood. Respiratory insufficiency and failure are generally categorized into one of two types—hypercapnic or hypoxemic.
Table 1ICD-9-CM CodeDescription492.8Other emphysema493.22Chronic obstructive asthma with acute exacerbation496Chronic airway obstruction, not elsewhere classified518.81Acute respiratory failure12 more rows
The ICD-CM codes for asthma have changed from 493.00 – 493.99 in ICD-9-CM to J45.
Table 1ICD-9-CM diagnosis codeDiagnosisDescriptionHeart failure428.0 Congestive heart failure, unspecified428.1 Left heart failure428.2 Systolic heart failure42 more rows•Mar 29, 2017
Secondary diagnosis: Respiratory failure may be listed as a secondary diagnosis if it occurs after admission, or if it is present on admission, but does not meet the definition of principal diagnosis.
Chronic respiratory failure is a condition that results in the inability to effectively exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen, and induces chronically low oxygen levels or chronically high carbon dioxide levels.
ICD-10-CM Code for Chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia J96. 11.
518.84 is a legacy non-billable code used to specify a medical diagnosis of acute and chronic respiratory failure. This code was replaced on September 30, 2015 by its ICD-10 equivalent.
The GEMs are the raw material from which providers, health information vendors and payers can derive specific applied mappings to meet their needs.
Look for documented signs / symptoms of: SOB (shortness of breath) Delirium and/or anxiety. Syncope. Use of accessory muscles / poor air movement.
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.
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.
Acute or Acute on Chronic Respiratory Failure may be assigned as a principal diagnosis when it is the condition established after study to be chiefly responsible for occasioning the admission to the hospital, and the selection is supported by the Alphabetic Index and Tabular List. However, chapter-specific coding guidelines (such as obstetrics, poisoning, HIV, newborn) that provide sequencing direction take precedence.
Types of respiratory failure are categorized by acute, chronic, acute-on-chronic, AND whether the patient has hypoxia, hypercapnia, or both.
The recommended oxygen target saturation range in patients not at risk of type II respiratory failure is 94%–98%; in patients at risk of type II respiratory failure, the range is 88%–92%.