Diagnosis coding corner: Final ICD-10-CM update for 2019 includes 38 more changes than proposed

Why This Topic Matters

Annual ICD-10-CM updates can affect diagnosis reporting, documentation specificity, and code set maintenance. Understanding the scope of the final changes helps organizations prepare for the effective date and identify areas of the code book that require review.

Article Sections

1. Overview of the final 2019 ICD-10-CM changes

   Summarizes the size and timing of the final update and identifies the issuing organization. Introduces the major categories of diagnosis code changes covered in the article.

2. Exploitation-related and human trafficking codes

   Discusses new and revised diagnosis coding updates related to exploitation and human trafficking across child and adult contexts. Notes the general purpose of the new code groups within the broader update.

3. Myalgia code revisions

   Reviews the restructuring of myalgia-related diagnosis coding and the associated index update. Describes the shift to more specific site-based options.

4. Minor descriptor revisions for selected musculoskeletal and osteomyelitis codes

   Covers cleanup changes to selected diagnosis code descriptors without changing the underlying code structure. Identifies the affected clinical areas at a high level.

5. Postprocedural wound infection and sepsis coding updates

   Explains the broader changes to postoperative infection-related diagnosis coding, including the expansion of related subcategories. Also notes new options for capturing postoperative sepsis in the updated code set.