Q: When I started CDI, I was told that when a complication code happens to be the reason of admission, along with another condition also contributing to the admission, the complication code takes precedence over the other condition code. Is this correct, and is there any written evidence...Read More »
A patient presents to the ED with fever, gastroenteritis, nausea, and vomiting. After evaluation, the patient is found to be severely dehydrated and the physician admits the patient for administration of fluids. What is the principal diagnosis?
Coronary artery disease (CAD) develops when the arteries that supply the blood to the heart muscles become hardened and narrowed due to a buildup of cholesterol and other materials, such as plaque, on their inner wall. It's also called atherosclerosis.
CAD is the most common type of heart...Read More »
Despite all the uncertainty surrounding the beginning of ICD-10-CM/PCS, the Cooperating Parties (i.e., the American Hospital Association, AHIMA, CMS, and the National Center for Healthcare Statistics) nevertheless decided that the farewell issue of...Read More »
Most coders and CDI specialists are familiar with the Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set (UHDDS) definition of principal diagnosis: the condition established after study to be chiefly responsible for occasioning the admission of the patient to the hospital for care.
