Basics of Atherosclerosis ICD-10 CM coding

Atherosclerosis is thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery. Risk factors may include high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity, physical activity, and eating saturated fats.

I70. 8 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes

Signs/Symptoms |Atherosclerosis ICD-10 CM coding

• Confusion
• Dizziness, trouble walking, loss of balance or coordination, and unexplained falls
• Loss of consciousness
• Paralysis (an inability to move) or numbness of the face, arms, or legs, especially on one side of the body
• Problems breathing
• Sudden and severe headache
• Sudden weakness
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Trouble speaking or understanding speech

Related Synonyms |Atherosclerosis ICD-10 CM coding

• Aortoiliac atherosclerosis
• Atherosclerosis of bilateral iliac arteries
• Atherosclerosis of both iliac arteries
• Atherosclerosis of left iliac artery
• Atherosclerosis of right iliac artery
• Left brachiocephalic artery stenosis
• Right brachiocephalic artery stenosis
• Stenosis of left brachiocephalic artery
• Stenosis of right brachiocephalic artery

Read also: Coding guide for Aortogram with/without runoff CPT code

Documentation and Atherosclerosis ICD-10 CM coding

The majority of ICD-10-CM codes for atherosclerosis can be found in the I70.- category and are organized based on the vessel affected, the extremity, and the laterality. The sub-categories include:

• I70.2-, atherosclerosis of native arteries of the extremities
• I70.3-, atherosclerosis of unspecified type of bypass graft(s) of the extremities
• I70.4-, atherosclerosis of autologous vein bypass graft(s) of the extremities
• I70.5-, atherosclerosis of nonautologous vein bypass graft(s) of the extremities
• I70.6-, atherosclerosis of nonbiological bypass graft(s) of the extremities
• I70.7-, atherosclerosis of other type of bypass graft(s) of the extremities

Fifth characters for these codes are used to report the following:

• 1, intermittent claudication
• 2, rest pain
• 3, ulceration of the right leg
• 4, ulceration of the left leg
• 6, gangrene

When reporting a code in category I70.-, coders should use additional codes to report tobacco use, dependence, and exposure. Sub-categories may require additional codes to report severity of ulcers (L97.-) or chronic total occlusion of artery of the extremities (I70.92) when applicable.

Documentation when reporting atherosclerotic heart disease with angina pectoris should include the cause (if it is anything other than atherosclerosis), stability, vessel involved, and any graft involvement.

Basic ICD-10 INFORMATION

World Health Organization (WHO) authorized the publication of the International Classification of Diseases External 10th Revision (ICD-10), which was implemented for mortality coding and classification from death certificates in the U.S. in 1999. The U.S. developed a Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) for medical diagnoses based on WHO’s ICD-10.  This medical classification list is generated by the World Health Organization (WHO), and is used to help healthcare providers identify and code health conditions.