From the forum: Coding cellulitis due to IV drug use

On the ACDIS Forum, members can ask questions on nearly any aspect of the CDI industry and receive guidance from their peers. This unique opportunity allows CDI specialists from across the country to compare notes and share advice about real issues, and often in real-time. Recently, one post on the forum inquired about coding when it comes to cellulitis due to IV drug use. In discussion with the coding department, their program remained unsure if “cellulitis/sepsis due to an IV drug would be code[d] with a PDX of T8029XA: infection following other infusion, transfusion and therapeutic injection, initial encounter.”

The forum poster explained their initial thought, which was that the drug use isn’t therapeutic and so the code shouldn’t apply, but also noted that they do code patients who “self-cath” at home with a urinary catheter and develop a urinary infection as a complication/infection. They asked for general guidance and if there is a specific code for infections due to self-injections or not.

One forum participant’s response was that they would not personally apply the T code cause, as the infection technically was not related to a medical treatment. In their explanation, they stated that T80-T88 are grouped as “Complications of surgical and medical care, not elsewhere classified.”

Whether your question is about CDI expansion, management, certifications, or clinical and coding, you can go to the Forum for answers from those working directly in the line of CDI and facing these same struggles day in and out. Here are a few current hot topics on the Forum:

• Days allowed to appeal a denial
• Sickle cell pain crisis with ACS and pneumonia
• Denial related to principal diagnosis/federal registry
• Dispute about status Z codes

Have a question, or think you know some answers? Weigh in on these discussions and others or start some of your own. Getting involved with ACDIS and the CDI community is just a click away!

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Editor’s note: This article was adapted from a thread on the ACDIS Forum. To learn more about participating on the Forum, click here.