ICD-10 Codes for Reporting the Top 5 Neurological Disorders

ICD-10 Codes for Reporting the Top 5 Neurological Disorders

Read about the top five neurological disorders caused by a dysfunction in any part of the nervous system, and their related ICD-10 codes.

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The term neurological disorder refers to any condition caused by the dysfunction in any part of the brain or nervous system, resulting in physical and/or psychological symptoms. The brain, spinal cord and nerves together make up the nervous system and control all the workings of the body. When something goes wrong in any part of the nervous system, people may experience trouble moving, speaking, breathing or learning. In addition, they can also have problems with memory, senses, or mood. When it comes to reporting diagnoses and related symptoms, neurologists can always rely on experienced neurology medical billing companies. Having considerable knowledge about the structure and functioning of the nervous system, related codes and guidelines, skilled medical coding service providers can -10 coding for neurological conditions.

Reports suggest that nearly 1 in 6 of the world's population suffer from neurological disorders. There are more than 600 neurologic diseases that affect the human nervous system. Many neurologic disorders are “congenital” – meaning they are present at birth. But some of the disorders are “acquired,” which signifies that they develop after birth. Those disorders with an unknown cause are termed as “idiopathic.”

In most cases, structural, biochemical or electrical abnormalities in the brain, spinal cord or other nerves can result in a wide range of symptoms. Symptoms, in most cases depend and vary based on the type of disorder a person suffers from as well as the specific area of the body that is affected. In some instances, patients may experience emotional symptoms while in other cases symptoms may be physical. Some of the common symptoms include – 

Unexplained pain

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Seizures

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Poor cognitive abilities

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Partial or complete paralysis

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Pain and altered levels of consciousness

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Muscle weakness

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Difficulty reading and writing

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Confusion

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Decreased alertness

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Partial or complete loss of sensation

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Headache

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Changes in coordination or balance

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Slurred speech

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Tremors

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Here discussed are the ICD-10 codes for coding the top five neurological disorders Alzheimer’s disease - Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys memory and thinking capabilities. It is a common form of dementia wherein the brain cells themselves degenerate and die causing a steady decline in memory and mental function. A combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time causes this disease. Symptoms associated with this condition, in most cases first appear after the age of 65 years. Generally, increasing forgetfulness, mild confusion or difficulty to remember new pieces of information may be the initial symptoms of this disease. The rate at which these symptoms worsen varies from one person to another.

Related ICD-10 codes include 

G30 - Alzheimer's disease  G30.0 - Alzheimer's disease with early onset  G30.1 - Alzheimer's disease with late onset  G30.8 - Other Alzheimer's disease  G30.9 - Alzheimer's disease, unspecified

Epilepsy - Epilepsy is a serious neurological disorder in which the central nerve cells in the brain work abnormally causing seizures. Reports from the Epilepsy Foundation (2018 statistics) suggest that about 3 million US adults have active epilepsy. In fact, 56 percent of adults with epilepsy still have seizures. In patients suffering from this disease - the normal pattern of neuronal activity becomes disturbed causing strange sensations, convulsions, muscle spasms and loss of consciousness. Treatment for this condition begins with antiepileptic medications. ICD- 10 codes for this neurological disorder include 

G40 - Epilepsy and recurrent seizures  G40.0 - Localization-related (focal) (partial) idiopathic epilepsy and epileptic syndromes with seizures of localized onset  G40.1 - Localization-related (focal) (partial) symptomatic epilepsy and epileptic syndromes with simple partial seizures  G40.2 - Localization-related (focal) (partial) symptomatic epilepsy and epileptic syndromes with complex partial seizures  G40.3 - Generalized idiopathic epilepsy and epileptic syndromes  G40.4 - Other generalized epilepsy and epileptic syndromes  G40.5 - Epileptic seizures related to external causes  G40.8 - Other epilepsy and recurrent seizures

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 G40.9 - Epilepsy, unspecified Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and the body. It can cause permanent damage or deterioration of the nerves. The exact cause of MS is unknown. Signs and symptoms of MS vary widely and depend on the extent of nerve damage and which nerves are affected. Reports suggest that multiple sclerosis affects about 400,000 people in the United States, and about 2.5 million worldwide. Treatment options for this chronic neurological condition include – medications, corticosteroids, plasma exchange (plasmapheresis), muscle relaxants and physical therapy exercises to reduce prominent symptoms like pain, and bladder or bowel control problems related to this condition. ICD-10 codes for MS include – 

G35 – Multiple sclerosis

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G36 – Other acute disseminated demyelination  G36.0 – Neuromyelitis optica [Devic]  G36.1- Acute and sub acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis [Hurst]  G36.8 – Other specified acute disseminated demyelination  G36.9 – Acute disseminated demyelination, unspecified

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G37 – Other demyelinating diseases of central nervous system  G37.0 – Diffuse sclerosis of central nervous system  G37.1 – Central demyelination of corpus callosum  G37.2 – Central pontine myelinolysis  G37.3 – Acute transverse myelitis in demyelinating disease of central nervous system  G37.4 – Sub-acute necrotizing myelitis of central nervous system  G37.5- Concentric sclerosis [Balo] of central nervous system  G37.8 – Other specified demyelinating diseases of central nervous system  G37.9 – Demyelinating disease of central nervous system, unspecified

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – Regarded as a progressive nervous system disease, ALS affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control.

Often called Lou Gehrig's disease, this condition appears in people who are above the age of 50 years. ALS begins with muscle twitching and weakness in a limb, or slurred speech. As the disease progresses, the condition affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. Symptoms of ALS vary from person to person, depending on which neurons are affected. The exact cause of this condition is unknown 90% of the time, though www.outsourcestrategies.com

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10% are genetic in origin. There is no cure for this condition and therefore treatments cannot reverse the damage caused by ALS, but they can slow the progression of symptoms and prevent complications. ICD-10 code for ALS include – 

G12.21 - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Parkinson’s disease (PD) - Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive brain disorder that affects movement, loss of muscle control, and balance. Caused by a loss of nerve cells in the part of the brain called the “substantia nigra”, the condition leads to a reduction in a chemical called dopamine in the brain. The signs and symptoms of PD can be different for everyone. Early symptoms may be mild and remain unnoticed. Common symptoms include – tremor, slowed movement (bradykinesia), rigid muscles, impaired posture and balance, loss of automatic movements and speech and writing changes. PD cannot be cured, but medications can help control your symptoms. ICD-10 codes for reporting diagnosis of PD include – 

G20 - Parkinson's disease

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G21 - Secondary Parkinsonism

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G21.0 - Malignant neuroleptic syndrome

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G21.1 - Other drug-induced secondary parkinsonism  G21.11 - Neuroleptic induced parkinsonism  G21.19 - Other drug induced secondary parkinsonism

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G21.2 - Secondary Parkinsonism due to other external agents

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G21.3 - Postencephalitic Parkinsonism

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G21.4 - Vascular Parkinsonism

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G21.8 - Other secondary parkinsonism

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G21.9 - Secondary parkinsonism, unspecified

With professional and timely medical treatment, it is possible to manage the severity of symptoms to a great extent. A correct combination of medications followed by certain lifestyle changes such as healthy eating, regular physical exercise and avoiding falls or other injuries may help make living with neurological diseases easier.

Managing neurology medical billing and coding tasks could be easier for physicians who partner with a professional medical billing and coding company that provides the services of AAPC-certified coding specialists. Such specialists can help or support physicians to ensure accurate claim submission for optimal reimbursement.

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