The majority of the recommendations from DRG 190 (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease w/MCC) was to DRG 189 (Pulmonary edema and respiratory failure) with re-sequencing of respiratory failure as the PDX or adding as a new code and sequenced as PDX.
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COPD is a respiratory condition where there is chronic obstruction to airflow in the lungs. Air is breathed into the lungs but a patient with COPD has trouble emptying air out of the lungs. This can also cause patients with COPD to have CO2 retention. COPD is an irreversible and progressive disease in which the lung function worsens as time goes on.
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How does a coder sequence COPD and pneumonia? As of October 1, 2017 the note under the code J44.0 COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with acute lower respiratory infection) was changed from “Use additional code to identify infection” to “Code also to identify the infection”. A “code also” note does NOT give a sequencing directive as the “use additional code” does.
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