Can we code hypertensive urgency, hypertensive crisis and hypertensive emergency in an outpatient setting?
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Resolved Hypertension Emergency, Urgency and crisis
- Thread starter SriR_76859
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Lori
Well-known member
A hypertensive crisis can involve hypertensive urgency or emergency.
Hypertensive Urgency
If your blood pressure is 180/120 or greater, wait about five minutes and try again. If the second reading is just as high and you are not experiencing any other associated symptoms of target organ damage such as chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness/weakness, change in vision, or difficulty speaking, this would be considered a hypertensive urgency. Your healthcare provider may just have you adjust or add medications, but rarely requires hospitalization.
ICD-10-CM diagnoses codes also distinguish between urgent (category I16.0) and emergency (I16.1) hypertension. Code I16.9 reports hypertensive crisis, unspecified, but its use should be avoided: it is better to query the provider for additional details, if necessary.
Hypertensive Emergency
If your blood pressure reading is 180/120 or greater and you are experiencing any other associated symptoms of target organ damage such as chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness/weakness, change in vision, or difficulty speaking then this would be considered a hypertensive emergency. Do not wait to see if your pressure comes down on its own, Call 9-1-1.
Hypertensive crisis
A code from category I16 (hypertensive crisis) is assigned for any documented hypertensive urgency, hypertensive emergency or unspecified hypertensive crisis. Report two codes, at a minimum, for hypertensive crisis. The crisis code is reported in addition to the underlying hypertension code (I10 to I15).1
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Hypertensive Urgency
If your blood pressure is 180/120 or greater, wait about five minutes and try again. If the second reading is just as high and you are not experiencing any other associated symptoms of target organ damage such as chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness/weakness, change in vision, or difficulty speaking, this would be considered a hypertensive urgency. Your healthcare provider may just have you adjust or add medications, but rarely requires hospitalization.
ICD-10-CM diagnoses codes also distinguish between urgent (category I16.0) and emergency (I16.1) hypertension. Code I16.9 reports hypertensive crisis, unspecified, but its use should be avoided: it is better to query the provider for additional details, if necessary.
Hypertensive Emergency
If your blood pressure reading is 180/120 or greater and you are experiencing any other associated symptoms of target organ damage such as chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness/weakness, change in vision, or difficulty speaking then this would be considered a hypertensive emergency. Do not wait to see if your pressure comes down on its own, Call 9-1-1.
Hypertensive crisis
A code from category I16 (hypertensive crisis) is assigned for any documented hypertensive urgency, hypertensive emergency or unspecified hypertensive crisis. Report two codes, at a minimum, for hypertensive crisis. The crisis code is reported in addition to the underlying hypertension code (I10 to I15).1
- Hypertensive urgency: I16.0
- Hypertensive emergency: I16.1
- Hypertensive crisis, unspecified: I16.9
Coding Tip: Hypertensive Crisis, Urgency and Emergency Coding
There are now codes to describe hypertensive crisis in ICD-10-CM category I16, Hypertensive Crisis. Coders are now able to differentiate coding of hypertensive urgency (I16.0), hypertensive emergency (I16.1), and hypertensive crisis, unspecified (I16.9).
hiacode.com
Hypertensive Crisis ICD-10-CM Coding
Hypertensive crisis ICD-10-CM codes distinguish between urgent (category I16.0) and emergency (I16.1) hypertension. Avoid I16.9 when possible.
Thank you 
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