Coding Corner Tips: Recrudescence of a Prior Stroke
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Recrudescence of a Prior Stroke

Per Coding Clinic, Second Quarter 2024:

Recrudescence of an infarction refers to the recurrence of stroke-related deficits from a previous/old stroke. Therefore, it is appropriate to assign sequela(e) codes for conditions documented as due to recrudescence of a stroke. ‘Recrudescence’ has also been added to the ICD-10-CM Alphabetic Index and instructs the coder to ‘See Sequelae, infarction, cerebral.’

Code Example: 

A patient with a PMH of stroke currently on Coumadin presented due to L sided facial weakness, numbness and tingling. The patient was admitted and worked up for her complaints. No acute pathology was found, and the patient was diagnosed with recrudescence of a prior left juxtacortical stroke.

Code Assignment: 

Assign codes: I69.392, Facial weakness following cerebral infarction and I69.398, Other sequelae of cerebral infarction, for numbness and tingling.

 

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Kim Felix, RHIA, CCS 

Director of Education

 (215) 200-1788

kfelix@e4.health

Lori Harbison, LPN, CCDS, CDIP, CCS

Coding Operations Manager

 (216) 501-2058

lharbison@e4.health

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