News: Post-COVID ICD-10-CM code used to identify a wide range of symptoms, study finds

A recent medical record review published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open found that between October 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022, providers used ICD-10-CM code U09.9, Post-COVID-19 condition, unspecified, to identify a multitude of post-acute conditions brought on by COVID-19.

Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 are commonly documented in patients recovering from the infection weeks to months after acute infection, JustCoding reported. Code U09.9 is used to identify sequelae such as fatigue, muscle weakness, headache, and impaired lung function. ICD-10-CM tabular guidance for reporting U09.9 recommends using this code to identify the following conditions, when linked to a previous COVID-19 infection:

• Chronic respiratory failure
• Loss of smell or taste
• Multisystem inflammatory syndrome
• Pulmonary embolism or pulmonary fibrosis

The use of this code is not limited to these specific symptoms, however. To examine how code U09.9 was used in clinical practice over a four-month period, researchers at Pfizer Inc. and Genesis Research reviewed 56,143 medical records for patients with a post-COVID-19 condition. Inpatient and outpatient claims data was aggregated from a HealthVerity database.  

Researchers found that ICD-10-CM code U09.9 was used immediately after it was released on October 1, 2021, and that its use plateaued in January 2022. Providers used this code to represent various symptoms spanning multiple body systems, including but not limited to:

• Anomaly of breathing
• Disturbance of smell and taste
• Fever
• Headache
• Pain in the throat or chest
• Sleep disorders
• Unspecified viral pneumonia

There is no standard clinical definition of “post-acute sequelae of COVID-19,” which complicates documentation and coding for long COVID-19. Appropriate application of ICD-10-CM code U09.9 will help public health professionals monitor post-COVID-19 symptoms and gain a better understanding of health risks associated with COVID-19 as the pandemic evolves.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in JustCoding. To read more about long COVID symptoms, click here.