CAC CAC ICD-10 Diagnosis Coding for Ambulance Services 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ICD-10-CM code category is used to report chest pain as the primary reason an ambulance was dispatched?
- R07 (Correct answer)
- I21
- J18
- R00
Correct answer: R07
ICD-10-CM category R07 covers chest pain and is used to identify the symptom-based reason for ambulance dispatch when a definitive diagnosis is not yet established.
Question 2: When coding a stroke transport for ambulance services, which ICD-10-CM code block is most appropriate for an unspecified cerebrovascular accident?
- I63.9 (Correct answer)
- G45.9
- R55
- I67.9
Correct answer: I63.9
I63.9 (Cerebral infarction, unspecified) is used when the documentation supports a stroke/CVA but does not specify the type.
Question 3: A patient is transported after a fall with a suspected hip fracture. Which ICD-10-CM chapter contains the primary diagnosis code?
- Chapter 19 – Injury, Poisoning (Correct answer)
- Chapter 13 – Musculoskeletal
- Chapter 18 – Symptoms
- Chapter 21 – Z-codes
Correct answer: Chapter 19 – Injury, Poisoning
Traumatic fractures are coded from Chapter 19 (S00–T88) of ICD-10-CM, which covers injuries and poisoning.
Question 4: What does the 7th character 'A' indicate when appended to an ICD-10-CM injury code during an ambulance transport?
- Initial encounter (Correct answer)
- Subsequent encounter
- Sequela
- Active treatment
Correct answer: Initial encounter
The 7th character 'A' designates an initial encounter, meaning the patient is receiving active treatment for the injury.
Question 5: Which ICD-10-CM code is used to identify hypoglycemia as the reason for an emergency ambulance transport in a diabetic patient?
- E11.641 (Correct answer)
- E11.9
- R73.09
- E16.0
Correct answer: E11.641
E11.641 represents Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hypoglycemia with coma, providing the specificity needed for ambulance medical necessity.
Question 6: When a patient is transported due to altered mental status with no confirmed diagnosis, which ICD-10-CM code is most appropriate?
- R41.3 (Correct answer)
- F99
- G93.9
- R55
Correct answer: R41.3
R41.3 (Other amnesia / altered mental status, unspecified) is the appropriate symptom code when no definitive diagnosis has been established at the time of transport.
CAC CAC ICD-10 Diagnosis Coding for Ambulance Services 1
Which ICD-10-CM code category is used to report chest pain as the primary reason an ambulance was dispatched?