Medical Coding, Punctuation Marks
1) Parentheses: "( )"
Parentheses are used to enclose a non essential modifier.
A non essential modifier is a word that does not change the code number or will give you a same code number.
Example: Code for ===> Enteritis - K52.9
Also codes for,
Acute Enteritis - K52.9
Septic Enteritis - K52.9
Diarrheal Enteritis - K52.9
Here, all these conditions have same code. So the terms ---> acute, septic, diarrheal are considered as Non essential modifiers.
An essential modifier is a word that will change the code number or will give a different code number.
Example: Code for ===> Gastritis - K29.70
And codes for,
Acute Gastritis – K29.00
Allergic Gastritis – K29.60
Alcoholic Gastritis – K29.20
Chronic Gastritis – K29.50
Here, all these conditions have same code. So the terms ---> acute, allergic, alcoholic, chronic are considered as Essential modifiers.
2) Brackets: "[ ]"
Used in Vol-I and Vol-II
In Vol-I, Brackets are used to enclose either synonyms or alternate terms.
Synonyms are other words with same meaning.
Example: Acute nasopharingitis [common cold]
Alternative term for acute nasopharingitis is common cold which is written like this in brackets.
Other Examples: Escherichia Coli [E.Coli]
Hemophilus Influenza [H.Influenza]
In Vol-II, Brackets are used to enclose a manifestation code in etiology (cause) and manifestation relationship.
Example: Dementia in Parkinson’s disease
Code: G20 [F02.80]
In this condition, Parkinson’s disease (G20) is etiology, and Dementia (F02.80) is manifestation, therefore brackets are used for F02.80.
3) Colons “:”
Colons are used to complete an incomplete word.
Example: Leukemia: lymphoblastic
Lymphocytic
Monoblastic
Monocytic
This is read as monoblastic leukemia
In Vol-I ----> final word with any digits is also called code.
Example 1: K29.70 ----> is a code ---> a 5 digit word
Here, Category [xxx][K29]
Sub category [xxx.x][K29.7]
Code [xxx.xx][K29.70]
Example 2: E29.462 ----> is a code ---> a 6 digit word
Here, Category [xxx][E29]
Sub category [xxx.x][E29.4]
Sub Classification [xxx.xx][E29.46]
Code [xxx.xxx] [E29.462]
Comments