How to Report Cocaine Poisoning

Know how to report cocaine poisoning in ICD 9 Codes 2011.

What will you do when the emergency department calls your cardiologist to care for patient with cocaine poisoning? Well, a just-in code effective October 1, 2010 changes what you should report. Now, post the ICD 9 codes 2011 changes, there is 970.81 which is available when you need to report cocaine poisoning.

Get on top of this critical care scenario

Patients with cocaine poisoning can be very complex, extremely sick and are potential critical care cases. Here's a detailed example: A 22-year old patient presents with acute chest pain and hypertension. History reveals that he inhaled four lines of cocaine within the past hour and has been abusing cocaine for the past year. The physician carries out and documents a thorough history and exam.

Diagnostics cover a cardiac panel and drug screen, and an electrocardiogram (ECG) reveals ST elevation in the anterior leads. Lab work shows elevated CPK and troponin. The doctor tends to the patient with intravenous valium and starts him on a nitroglycerin drip. The doctor then admits the patient to the critical care unit with anterior wall ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) owing to cocaine poisoning and hypertension. The doctor reports 45 minutes of critical care time.

Here's the solution: You should report the following for this particular encounter: 99291, 970.81 and 401.9.

For more information on cardiology-related codes that went into effect on October 1, sign up for a one-stop medical coding website. So if you're looking for all the ICD 9 codes(http://www.supercoder.com/icd9-codes/) 2011 changes that went into effect recently, this is the place to be!



ICD-9, ICD 9 Codes 2011, Medical Coding