Donna Garrett asked:
From page 163 Abstract & Code It Patient 1 Says "HIV-positive patient is experiencing noninfectious HIV-associated colitis ; ; ;" I coded B20 because it is an HIV-related illness for which medicines have been given. But the answer on page 466 coded it as Z21 asymptomatic HIV status. How can this be Z21 when the document states a "HIV positive with symptoms of colitis?" Which answer is it. Maybe this is just another one of the text book errors from it not having been carefully edited; or maybe I am wrong.
Will you please clarify? Thank you. DonnaG
Answer:
Hi Donna;
Thank you for your question. I agree with you in that the documentation linked the two conditions to one another by notating "associated". Therefore; I would code the HIV as B20. Per coding guidelines; "If a patient is admitted for an HIV-related condition; the principal diagnosis should be B20; Human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] disease followed by additional diagnosis codes for all reported HIV-related conditions."
From page 163 Abstract & Code It Patient 1 Says "HIV-positive patient is experiencing noninfectious HIV-associated colitis ; ; ;" I coded B20 because it is an HIV-related illness for which medicines have been given. But the answer on page 466 coded it as Z21 asymptomatic HIV status. How can this be Z21 when the document states a "HIV positive with symptoms of colitis?" Which answer is it. Maybe this is just another one of the text book errors from it not having been carefully edited; or maybe I am wrong.
Will you please clarify? Thank you. DonnaG
Answer:
Hi Donna;
Thank you for your question. I agree with you in that the documentation linked the two conditions to one another by notating "associated". Therefore; I would code the HIV as B20. Per coding guidelines; "If a patient is admitted for an HIV-related condition; the principal diagnosis should be B20; Human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] disease followed by additional diagnosis codes for all reported HIV-related conditions."
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