Coding an Elevated Troponin Level
Published on
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Question:
There is confusion about coding an elevated troponin level. Should we use R77.8 per codebook or R79.89 per advice from Coding Clinic, Second Quarter 2019, pg. 6?
Answer:
The correct code assignment for an elevated troponin level is R77.8, Other Specified Abnormalities of Plasma Proteins. Coding Clinic, Second Quarter 2019, page 6 was superseded by the changes to the index that were effective with the discharges October 1, 2020. The ICD-10-CM Conventions and Coding Guidelines take precedence over Coding Clinic advice.
References:
Coding Clinic Correspondence dated June 9, 2023
Coding Clinic, Second Quarter 2019, page 6
Coding Clinic, Fourth Quarter 2018, page 90
Article Author: Anita Meyers, RHIT, CCS
Anita Meyers, RHIT, CCS, is an Inpatient Coding Professional at Medical Management Plus. Anita has over twenty-six years of experience in inpatient and outpatient coding including 17 years of work at AQAF reviewing inpatient and outpatient records from Alabama hospitals. In addition to reviewing records she was the team leader in Beneficiary Services where she participated in case review activities, received and processed beneficiary complaints and handled fee-for-service denials for home health, hospice and skilled nursing facility services. Prior to joining the MMP team, Anita left AQAF to become an inpatient contract coder and worked at various hospitals in central Alabama. In her current position, Anita is an integral part of the Inpatient Services at Medical Management Plus.
