Coding Tachycardia in ICD-10
Understanding Coding Tachycardia in ICD-10 begins with knowing what is Tachycardia. Tachycardia is a faster than normal resting heart rate. A healthy resting adult heart normally beats 60 to 100 times a minute. Tachycardia (tak-ih-KAHR-dee-uh), the heart rate in the upper chambers or lower chambers of the heart, or both, is increased.
There are three types of Tachycardias, Atrial or Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT), Paroxysmal atrial Tachycardia (PAT), Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia(PSVT).
Symptoms of tachycardia include:
? Dizziness,
? Shortness of breath,
? Chest pain.
Risk factors include:
? Heart disease,
? Hypertension,
? Smoking,
? Heavy alcohol use,
? Heavy caffeine use,
? Recreational drug use,
? Psychological stress/anxiety, age, and
? Heredity.
Treatment for Atrial or SVT:
Many people don’t need medical therapy. Treatment is considered if episodes are prolonged or occur often. Your doctor may recommend or try:
? Carotid sinus massage: gentle pressure on the neck, where the carotid artery splits into two branches. Must be performed by a healthcare professional to minimize risk of stroke, heart or lung injury from blood clots.
? Pressing gently on the eyeballs with eyes closed.
? Valsalva maneuver: holding your nostrils closed while blowing air through your nose.
? Dive reflex: the body’s response to sudden immersion in water, especially cold water.
? Sedation.
? Cutting down on coffee.
? Cutting down on alcohol.
? Quitting tobacco use.
? Getting more rest.
? In patients with Wolfe-Parkinson-White Syndrome, medications or ablation may be needed to control PSVT.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of supraventricular tachycardia. In atrial fibrillation, the heart?s electrical signals don?t begin where they should, which creates a fast, irregular heart rhythm.
Atrial flutter describes a condition in which the electrical signal travels along a pathway within the right atrium. It moves in an organized circular motion, or ? circuit,? causing the atria to beat faster than the ventricles.
Clinical documentation should include the type of tachycardia (re-entry, ventricular, etc.). Code selection is straightforward:
I47.0 Re-entry ventricular tachycardia
I47.1 Supraventricular tachycardia
I47.2 Ventricular tachycardia
I47.9 Paroxysmal tachycardia, unspecified
I48.0 Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
I48.1 Persistent atrial fibrillation
I48.2 Chronic atrial fibrillation
I48.3 Typical atrial flutter
I48.4 Atypical atrial flutter
R00.0 Tachycardia, unspecified