A Pregnancy Complication
Summary - Pre-eclampsia is a complication of pregnancy that occurs due to high blood pressure and possibly protein in the urine during pregnancy or after delivery. Address,
Pre-eclampsia is a severe complication of pregnancy and occurs due to high blood pressure and possibly the presence of protein in the urine during pregnancy or after delivery. The condition most commonly occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy. In certain cases, the condition can also occur earlier or after delivery. A woman suffering from the condition may have low clotting factors (platelets) in their blood or indicators of kidney or liver trouble. If it is not identified at an early stage or is left untreated, the condition can develop into eclampsia – a fatal complication for both the mother and the child. Early diagnosis and timely screening can help avoid complications at the time of pregnancy. Obstetricians or gynecologists can depend on outsourced medical billing services to document diagnosis and treatment correctly in claims.
Reports suggest that pre-eclampsia affects more than 10 percent of the pregnancies worldwide, causing about 76,000 maternal deaths and 500,000 infant deaths each year worldwide. There is no single cause for this condition. However, obesity, autoimmune disorders, genetic factors, blood vessel problems, being pregnant with multiple fetuses, pregnant women above the age of 36 years and being pregnant for the first time can increase the risk of the condition.
Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment
This pregnancy-related disorder may not show any specific symptoms in the early stages. However, as the condition progresses, patients may experience the following symptoms –
• Fluid retention (edema)
• Swelling in the hands, feet, ankles and face
• Headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Upper abdominal pain
• Blurred vision
• Impaired liver function
• Shortness of breath caused by fluid in the lungs
When a pregnant woman has high blood pressure and tests positive for certain complications like proteinuria, low platelet count, impaired liver function and
pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), the physician will order tests to check for preeclampsia. Blood tests, urine analysis, fetal ultrasound, and non-stress test or biophysical profile may be performed to confirm diagnosis.
Thetreatment forpre-eclampsiaistodeliverthebaby safelyormanagethecondition untilitispossibletodeliverthebaby.Thesymptomsofpreeclampsiausually resolve after delivery. Women diagnosed with this condition are advised to attend the recommended prenatal sessions. Treatment involves a combination of medications and best rest to bring down the blood pressure level.
ICD- 10 Codes for Pre-eclampsia
• O14 Pre-eclampsia
• O14.0 Mild to moderate pre-eclampsia
✓ O14.00 …… unspecified trimester
✓ O14.02 …… second trimester
✓ O14.03 …… third trimester
✓ O14.04 …… complicating childbirth
✓ O14.05 …… complicating the puerperium
• O14.1 Severe pre-eclampsia
✓ O14.10 …… unspecified trimester
✓ O14.12 …… second trimester
✓ O14.13 …… third trimester
✓ O14.14 …… complicating childbirth
✓ O14.15 …… complicating the puerperium
• O14.9 Unspecified pre-eclampsia
✓ O14.90 …… unspecified trimester
✓ O14.92 …… second trimester
✓ O14.93 …… third trimester
✓ O14.94 …… complicating childbirth
✓ O14.95 …… complicating the puerperium
Billing and coding for obstetrics and gynecology conditions can be complex. For accurate and timely medical coding and claims submission, healthcare practices can outsource the task to a professional medical billing company that provides the services of experienced AAPC-certified coders.