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Septicemia due to Pseudomonas with septic shock - Student

Posted: Nov 16, 2013

I get 038.43 and 785.52, but why do I have to code the 041.7 for the Pseudomonas infection when I just coded it as a combo code for the septicemia?

What do the Coding Guidelines tell you? - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
And the instructions in the tabular list?

It is important for you to look this up so that you can learn. When you just ask what's wrong with a code number, we can't tell how much you know or where to start.

And when you ask others for help, please use the entire name of the code, not just a number.

Never mind. - Student

[ In Reply To ..]
I was struggling to understand why the teacher had those codes. She was wrong. According to the answers in my book, my codes were correct all long. You don't code the infection twice. You code severe sepsis and toxic shock.

Look for a better reason than that - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
How do you know the answers in the book are correct?

You need to figure out WHY that extra code is INCORRECT.

When you are working, there is no teacher and there are no answers in the back of the book. There are, however, coworkers and supervisors who will be happy to share their thinking on everything with you, right, wrong, or ridiculous, and the ones who are wrong seem to share the most.

If that second Pseudomonas code is unnecessary, there is a reason for it. How will you explain to your teacher that she is wrong?

Believe me, this is a crucial skill. This is the only way you will be sure of what you are doing and the only way to defend your work. If you don't develop this, you will end up doing what one coder tells you one week, what a supervisor tells you the next, and you'll not only be at the mercy of auditors . . . you won't be able to get a job as one.

This is the skill you need to advance. It is really easy--no magic required. No reason not to learn it now.

Because the coding conventions say so - Student

[ In Reply To ..]
They are quite clear on how to code sepsis & septic shock. It's pretty black and white.

I'm sorry if it seems like I am fishing for answers - Student

[ In Reply To ..]
I am NOT. That is why my question was "why is this code", not "what is this code". At school, in the 5 minutes I have before we move on to the next topic, I question like crazy. That's why I sought help here -- not to get the code, but to understand the code that was gotten. In this instance, the coding conventions are clear and I am comfortable saying that the teacher is wrong. I enjoy the interaction and discussion with experienced coders, when they choose to interact with someone inexperienced but I have never once asked anyone to do the work for me.

Nobody is saying that you are expecting others to do the - work for you

[ In Reply To ..]
They were just trying to help you learn a much-needed skill. Teaching you to fish instead of handing you a fish sandwich.

When your teacher simply answers those questions you ask like crazy, she is handing you fish sandwiches. She does that because she doesn't have time to teach you how to find the answers yourself.

And what do you plan to do with all those answers? Memorize them? How long is that going to work? Until the next change in those codes, those guidelines, or Coding Clinic advice?

The second code was redundant. The coding was covered by the first one. There is a Coding Clinic to that effect.

Are you reading the notes in the tabular list? Is there a note at 785.52 that you need follow?

"For all cases of septic shock, the code for the systemic infection should be sequenced first, followed by codes 995.92 and 785.52. Additional codes for other acute organ dysfunctions should also be assigned." (Coding Clinic, fourth quarter 2006, page 114.)

I agree with you - Student

[ In Reply To ..]
That is why I live by the coding conventions. I am not memorizing codes -- but having rationale as to why a code has been reached is essential to understanding how to code it in the future. That is all I was asking. My confusion as to why it was coded the way my teacher said stemmed from the fact that she did it wrong.

I'm thinking about not returning to this school - Student

[ In Reply To ..]
It's really expensive for me as I live out of state. The teacher is good but I'm in a class with a bunch of kids that don't care and I just don't know if it's a good value. I'm thinking about Andrews, but I just don't know anything about it.

Did you see the note about 995.92? - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

yes - student

[ In Reply To ..]
I coded 038.43, 995.92 and 785.52. I believe those are correct.

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