ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting FY 2021
(October 1, 2020 - September 30, 2021)
https://dxrevisionwatch.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/10cmguidelines-fy2021.pdf
Selected extracts:
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11. Inclusion terms
List of terms is included under some codes. These terms are the conditions for which that code is to be used. The terms may be synonyms of the code title, or, in the case of “other specified” codes, the terms are a list of the various conditions assigned to that code. The inclusion terms are not necessarily exhaustive. Additional terms found only in the Alphabetic Index may also be assigned to a code.
12. Excludes Notes*
The ICD-10-CM has two types of excludes notes. Each type of note has a different definition for use but they are all similar in that they indicate that codes excluded from each other are independent of each other.
a. Excludes1
A type 1 Excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means “NOT CODED HERE!” An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
An exception to the Excludes1 definition is the circumstance when the two conditions are unrelated to each other. If it is not clear whether the two conditions involving an Excludes1 note are related or not, query the provider. For example, code F45.8, Other somatoform disorders, has an Excludes1 note for "sleep related teeth grinding (G47.63)," because "teeth grinding" is an inclusion term under F45.8. Only one of these two codes should be assigned for teeth grinding. However psychogenic dysmenorrhea is also an inclusion term under F45.8, and a patient could have both this condition and sleep related teeth grinding. In this case, the two conditions are clearly unrelated to each other, and so it would be appropriate to report F45.8 and G47.63 together.
b. Excludes2
A type 2 Excludes note represents “Not included here.” An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.
*Ed: Note that the WHO's ICD-10 has just one type of Excludes note.
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19. Code assignment and Clinical Criteria
The assignment of a diagnosis code is based on the provider’s diagnostic statement that the condition exists. The provider’s statement that the patient has a particular condition is sufficient. Code assignment is not based on clinical criteria used by the provider to establish the diagnosis.
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B. General Coding Guidelines
1. Locating a code in the ICD-10-CM
To select a code in the classification that corresponds to a diagnosis or reason for visit documented in a medical record, first locate the term in the Alphabetic Index, and then verify the code in the Tabular List. Read and be guided by instructional notations that appear in both the Alphabetic Index and the Tabular List.
It is essential to use both the Alphabetic Index and Tabular List when locating and assigning a code. The Alphabetic Index does not always provide the full code. Selection of the full code, including laterality and any applicable 7th character can only be done in the Tabular List. A dash (-) at the end of an Alphabetic Index entry indicates that additional characters are required. Even if a dash is not included at the Alphabetic Index entry, it is necessary to refer to the Tabular List to verify that no 7th character is required.
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4. Signs and symptoms
Codes that describe symptoms and signs, as opposed to diagnoses, are acceptable for reporting purposes when a related definitive diagnosis has not been established (confirmed) by the provider. Chapter 18 of ICD-10-CM, Symptoms, Signs, and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings, Not Elsewhere Classified (codes R00.0 - R99) contains many, but not all, codes for symptoms. See Section
I.B.18 Use of Signs/Symptom/Unspecified Codes
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18. Use of Sign/Symptom/Unspecified Codes
Sign/symptom and “unspecified” codes have acceptable, even necessary, uses. While specific diagnosis codes should be reported when they are supported by the available medical record documentation and clinical knowledge of the patient’s health condition, there are instances when signs/symptoms or unspecified codes are the best choices for accurately reflecting the healthcare encounter. Each healthcare encounter should be coded to the level of certainty known for that encounter.
If a definitive diagnosis has not been established by the end of the encounter, it is appropriate to report codes for sign(s) and/or symptom(s) in lieu of a definitive diagnosis. When sufficient clinical information isn’t known or available about a particular health condition to assign a more specific code, it is acceptable to report the appropriate “unspecified” code (e.g., a diagnosis of pneumonia has been determined, but not the specific type). Unspecified codes should be reported when they are the codes that most accurately reflect what is known about the patient’s condition at the time of that particular encounter. It would be inappropriate to select a specific code that is not supported by the medical record documentation or conduct medically unnecessary diagnostic testing in order to determine a more specific code.
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The most recent update of the WHO's International edition of ICD-10 is
ICD-10 Version: 2019, released in January 2020.
A browser version of the
Tabular List (which includes a database for
Index terms) is here:
https://icd.who.int/browse10/2019/en#/
No PDF versions of the 2019 Tabular List and Index are available.
WHO has stated that this will be the final update in the life of ICD-10 and that updates will not be supported beyond this release other than for addition of emergency codes for significant new viruses and for correction of typos and errors.
Note that
ICD-10 Version: 2019 has not yet been adopted by NHS England.
No decision has been announced yet whether NHS England will adopt ICD-10 Version: 2019 or skip the final update of ICD-10 in favour of migrating directly from
Version: 2016 (the current mandatory version) to ICD-11, at some point in the future. No roadmap for adoption of ICD-11 by NHS England has been released yet.
ICD-10 Version: 2016:
PDF versions of ICD-10 (Fifth edition v 2016) Volume 1: Tabular List and Volume 3: Alphabetical Index are also available as free downloads from the WHO’s IRIS document archive:
https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/246208
ICD-10 Volume 1 |
Tabular List of inclusions and four-character subcategories 5th Edition 2016 [PDF]
ICD-10 Volume 2 |
Instruction Manual 5th Edition 2016 [PDF]
ICD-10 Volume 3 |
Alphabetical Index 5th Edition 2016 [PDF]
Note that the WHO's ICD does not classify, code or index the composite terms
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis
ME/CFS
CFS/ME
For
ICD-11, the acronyms "ME"; "CFS"; and "PVFS" are listed under
Synonyms/Index Terms to the
8E49 Postviral fatigue syndrome code title, using this ICD-11 convention format:
- CFS - [chronic fatigue syndrome]
- ME - [myalgic encephalomyelitis]
- PVFS - [postviral fatigue syndrome]
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ICD-10 Volume 2 |
Instruction Manual 5th Edition 2016 [PDF]
Extract:
3.1.2 Use of the Tabular list of inclusions and four-character subcategories
Inclusion terms Within the three- and four-character rubrics,1 a number of other diagnostic terms are usually listed. These are known as ‘inclusion terms’ and are given, in addition to the title, as examples of the diagnostic statements to be classified to that rubric. They may refer to different conditions or be synonyms. They are not a subclassification of the rubric.
Inclusion terms are listed primarily as a guide to the content of the rubrics. Many of the items listed relate to important or common terms belonging to the rubric. Others are borderline conditions or sites listed to distinguish the boundary between one subcategory and another. The lists of inclusion terms are by no means exhaustive and alternative names of diagnostic entities are included in the Alphabetical index, which should be referred to first when coding a given diagnostic statement.