Bacteremia: Difference between revisions
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*NOTE: Bacteremia is a finding, not a specific disease. And even though the general rule is that coding findings/signs/symptoms is optional when the underlying cause is known, you should ALWAYS specifically code bactermia when present | *NOTE: Bacteremia is a finding, not a specific disease. And even though the general rule is that coding findings/signs/symptoms is optional when the underlying cause is known, you should ALWAYS specifically code bactermia when present | ||
**Furthermore, at the discretion of the data collector, it can be linked to another presumed infection (e.g. Klebsiella pneumonia linked to Klebsiella bacteremia), but if it’s not completely clear that they’re related, leave the bacteremia as “free standing”. | **Furthermore, at the discretion of the data collector, it can be linked to another presumed infection (e.g. Klebsiella pneumonia linked to Klebsiella bacteremia), but if it’s not completely clear that they’re related, leave the bacteremia as “free standing”. | ||
***If you include any of the sepsis codes AND you have bacteremia, then it's a clinical decision of whether or not to link those two codes. | |||
=== Bacteremia is '''not''' a blind replacement for old septicemia dx! === | === Bacteremia is '''not''' a blind replacement for old septicemia dx! === | ||