tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2005 Issue 12

READER QUESTIONS: Examine Cause for AICD Code

Question: An older male patient presented in the ED complaining that his automatic defibrillator was firing. What diagnosis code should I report for this?South Dakota Subscriber Answer: Your diagnosis code for this patient will depend on the cause of the firing. If the firing resulted from an AICD (automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator) malfunction, you would describe the condition with 996.04 (Mechanical complication of cardiac device, implant, and graft; due to automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator). If the patient had a dysrhythmia that caused the defibrillator to fire appropriately, you would use the heart condition as the primary diagnosis...

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