The big CMS announcement of yet another delay in the ICD-10 conversion gave many private practice physicians around the country reason to celebrate—and what better time to party than Halloween! With coding specificity like never before, ICD-10 has the perfect codes for all the season’s hooligans who get more tricks than they do treats. Some seem like they were written with Halloween in mind. Here are 10 of our favorite ICD-10 that just may come in handy for Halloween 2015:
Y93.D- Activities involved arts and handcraft
If you’ve tried to make a Halloween costume, you know it is never as easy as you think it will be. Use this code for hot-glue-gun burns or scissor slices.
R46.1- Bizarre personal appearance
Wigs, face paint, and masks are all key pieces of a great Halloween disguise. While these adornments may not stand out at a costume party, they could result in a special code for your medical records.
W61.01- Bitten by parrot
Pirates have been some of the most popular reoccurring characters on the Halloween scene. If the costume includes a real-life parrot, it better be well fed. But if a lack of crackers leads to an avian mishap, ICD-10 has just the code!
Y04.1- Assault by human bite
Parrots aren’t the only ones to watch out for this season. If a vampire or zombie takes their costume a bit too seriously, this code will record the chomp.
T78.01- Anaphylactic reaction due to peanuts
With a pillowcase full of fun-sized Snickers, who can eat just one? Some kids may be lucky enough to sleep it off with just a stomachache, but for a child with a peanut allergy, a trip to the ER will close out the holiday.
W22.02- Walked into a lamppost
Masks may terrify, but they do require a certain sacrifice of peripheral vision. With this blow to the senses, lampposts are more likely to sneak up on you.
A28.1- Cat-scratch disease
Halloween isn’t complete without a frightening feline or two. Superstition warns of them crossing your path, but some can’t resist a seemingly sweet ball of fluff. Trick-or-treaters who learn the hard way can earn bragging rights for this code.
W51.XXXA- Accidental striking against or bumped into by another person, initial encounter
Trick-or-treating can turn chaotic when candy-crazed children run from house to house. Donning a mask or looking down to check out new trick-or-treat loot has caused more than one collision.
F10.92- Alcohol use, unspecified with intoxication
For the adult crowd celebrating Halloween, party patrons have been known to have a drink or two. If after imbibing, dancing to the Monster Mash causes a tumble, this code could be used to describe the accident in a less embarrassing way.
W93.02- Inhalation of dry ice
Dry ice bubbling in a cauldron of punch is an oldie-but-goodie addition to any Halloween shindig. But if a goblin or ghoul spends too much time in the punchbowl, ICD-10 has just the code.
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