Medical Coding for Gastroenteritis - Know More about the ICD-10 Codes

Medical Coding for Gastroenteritis Know More about the ICD-10 Codes This article discusses gastroenteritis, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis and coding guidelines for accurately documenting this disorder.

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Gastroenteritis is the inflammation of the lining of the stomach and small and large intestines caused by a viral, bacterial, or parasitic infection. Also called stomach flu, this condition often occurs through infection which spreads through contaminated food or water and contact with an infected person. The infection causes the digestive tract to become irritated resulting in diarrhea and other symptoms such as vomiting and abdominal pain and cramping. Gastroenteritis normally lasts for a few days and doesn’t require any medication.

Treatment for this condition initially begins with self-care measures. The best prevention strategy is practicing personal hygiene like avoiding food and water that may be contaminated and frequent hand washing. As gastroenterology medical coding is a complex task, most physician practices rely on medical coding outsourcing to meet their documentation requirements.

Reports suggest that viral gastroenteritis is the second most common illness in the United States. It may be caused by viruses (such as rotavirus or norovirus infections), bacteria (including salmonella), parasites (such as giardia), chemicals (such as toxins in poisonous mushrooms) and toxins produced by bacteria. It affects people of all age groups, but is particularly common in young children and older adults with a weak immune system. One of the main complications of gastroenteritis is dehydration. This usually happens when patients do not drink enough fluids to replace what they lose through vomiting and diarrhea.

Symptoms Generally, stomach flu symptoms may appear within one to three days after a person gets infected. In most cases, symptoms can last just a day or two, but occasionally they may persist for 10 days or more. Depending on the type of bacteria causing the infection, these symptoms can range from mild to severe and include 

Abdominal cramps and pain

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Nausea, vomiting or both

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Occasional muscle aches or headache

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Low-grade fever

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Loss of appetite

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Diarrhea

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Blood in the stools

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Tiredness and muscle ache and pain

It is quite easy for people to confuse this condition with diarrhea caused by bacteria, such as Clostridium difficile, salmonella and E. coli, or parasites, such as giardia as the symptoms

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are similar. However, if your symptoms don’t improve even after five days (two days for children) or if a child (older than 3 months) continues to vomit after 12 hours it is important to immediately consult a physician.

How to Diagnose Gastroenteritis?

Diagnosis of this condition is normally based on symptoms and a detailed physical examination. In some cases, it may also be diagnosed based on the presence of similar cases in your community. A rapid stool test may be conducted to detect rotavirus or norovirus. Treatment for this condition aims to keep patients hydrated and avoid complications. Initially, treatment consists of self-care measures like 

Drinking fluids regularly throughout the day (especially after bouts of diarrhea)

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Stop eating solid foods for a few hours

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Avoid consuming dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and fatty or highly seasoned foods

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Consume foods or drinks with potassium, such as fruit juice and bananas

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Never consume over-the-counter medicines without physician prescription

However, for severe cases of bacterial gastroenteritis, patients may be admitted to the hospital and supplied fluids and salts intravenously. Antibiotics are generally reserved for the most severe cases.

Gastroenteritis – ICD-10 Codes For appropriate reimbursement, providers should ensure that the diagnostic codes on insurance billing claims for gastroenteritis accurately reflect their diagnosis.

Gastroenterology medical coding involves the use of specific medical codes to document different conditions, including gastroenteritis. The following ICD-10 codes are relevant with regard to this disease K52 - Other and unspecified noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis 

K52.0 - Gastroenteritis and colitis due to radiation

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K52.1 - Toxic gastroenteritis and colitis

K52.2 - Allergic and dietetic gastroenteritis and colitis 

K52.21 - Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome

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K52.22 - Food protein-induced enteropathy

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K52.29 - Other allergic and dietetic gastroenteritis and colitis

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K52.3 - Indeterminate colitis

K52.8 - Other specified noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis 

K52.81 - Eosinophilic gastritis or gastroenteritis

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K52.82 - Eosinophilic colitis

K52.83 - Microscopic colitis 

K52.831 - Collagenous colitis

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K52.832 - Lymphocytic colitis

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K52.838 - Other microscopic colitis

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K52.839 - Other microscopic colitis, unspecified

K52.89 - Other specified noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis K52.9 - Noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis, unspecified Practicing good hygiene is one of the important steps to reduce spreading of the bacteria.

Washing your hands after using the toilet and before handling food will help in this regard.

Make sure that the food to be consumed is properly refrigerated and thoroughly cooked.

Never consume food that is past its use-by date. In addition, try to avoid close contact with others during your illness. Once your symptoms subside, it is best to wait at least 48 hours before returning to work. Other preventative measures include - keeping your kitchen clean, washing your hands after touching animals and before eating and avoid drinking untreated water, and getting recommended vaccines. Vaccinate your infant or child with a rotavirus vaccine, which can prevent gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus.

Medical coding for gastroenteritis can be a challenging process. For accurate and timely medical billing and claims submission, healthcare practices can outsource their medical coding tasks to an established medical billing company that provides the services of AAPC-certified coding specialists.

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