Cardiology Coding Alert

You'll need quick access to documentation of right, left, or bilateral.

Coding for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) will get a lot more detailed under ICD-10. Here's what you can expect.

Diagnosis: Embolism is the obstruction of a vessel by a clot or foreign substance (such as plaque or fatty deposits). Thrombosis is obstruction by a blood clot. The codes featured here are specific to deep vessels, and that means the codes are appropriate for DVT. The codes are also specific to acute cases, as opposed to chronic.

ICD-9 2011 code:

453.42, Acute venous embolism and thrombosis of deep vessels of distal lower extremity

ICD-10 2011 [...]

- Published on 2011-09-15