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How is delirium (without dementia) identified in ICD10CM?

Vocabulary Users
#1

While the standard (WHO) version of ICD10 differentiates between delirium superimposed on dementia F05.1 and Delirium NOT superimposed on dementia F05.0, there is apparently no such granularity in ICD10CM. It is not clear to me, therefore, how I would differentiate between the two conditions, based on condition occurrence.

My only thought so far is to assume that in the absence of a co-morbidity which suggests dementia, I should assume that and ICD10CM code of F05 is equivalent to the ICD10 code of F05.0.

Gerry

#2

Right, F05 stands for Delirium due to known physiological condition (any known cause except alcoholic),
and ICD10CM code of F05 includes Delirium superimposed on dementia as well.

I suggest, to find patients with Dementia and Delirum you need to search for both diagnoses.
Something like: the patient should have at least two codes for Dementia (to be sure it is not a mistake) and then any time after dementia diagnosis - Delirium diagnosis.
Please let me know if this approach works for you.

#3

If I understand you correctly, you are concurring that for persons with an ICD10CM code of F05, I should infer that dx to be equivalent to to an ICD10 (WHO) dx of F05.0 unless I find prior or contemporaneous code for dementia on the person’s record. You are suggesting though that I require that there be more than one explicit dementia code, to reduce possibility of error.

Provided that we have sufficient historic records for the person for the period prior to the period of interest, that should work. Thank you.

I wonder why the “CM” editors (arbiters?) chose to drop what would seem a useful code that explicitly excludes the comorbidity.

t