Etiology and Manifestation Codes

Alicia: Okay, I’m confused about the difference between etiology and manifestation codes. What is the difference and do you know any example… have any examples? And we just happen to have that.

This is basic for coders. You know, you don’t probably really think etiology and manifestation when you’re coding. But what’s the first you need to know is the guidelines. Etiology is telling you what the patient has wrong with them. Manifestation tells you how the etiology is presenting. So an example of that, 250. That’s the diabetes with mellitus. That’s the etiology. That’s what the patient has. And keep in mind, diabetes codes always have 5 digits, the 250. So they do trick you on the test sometimes and leave oen of those digits off.

Etiology and Manifestation Codes Video

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Okay so let’s say our patient is 250.1. That’s a type 1 diabetic and it’s under control. So if this patient starts having some problems, their kidney starts acting up which is common with diabetes. The patient comes in to the office today because they’re felling light-headed and their feet has been swollen for a week. Nothing seems to alleviate that swelling. The patient’s a type 1 diabetic at 35 years, their blood pressure’s 150/98. They’ve got cluster edema in the ankles bilaterally and have high protein level in their urine. So this person’s sick. They’ve got something going on. Their diabetes is the etiology and they have manifestations. So HTN, that’s the abbreviation for hypertension. You’ve got protein in the urine Etiology and Manifestation Codesand you’ve got edema. These are all signs of renal neuropathy and that’s common with people who’s had diabetes for a long time.

So our patient codes for this visit is going to be 250.41 and this code tells you to use the additional code to identify the manifestation which is neuropathy, 583.81. So 250.41 is your etiology, 583.81 is for manifestation and there’s some other suggestions of ones that you can look up when you get this on the replay or you get it in the… you get a copy of this after the webinar. You can practice those. Pay attention to the guidelines and what it tells you to code in addition. But that’s manifestation from etiology.

More Etiology and Manifestation Codes Training:

Etiology and Manifestation Codes — CCO Medical Coding

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