Cerebral Palsy ICD 10 Code

Refresher: What are ICD-10 codes?

ICD-10 is the 10th edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases. It serves as a medical classification list with codes containing the following information about various diseases/conditions:

• Signs and symptoms
• Complaints
• Abnormal findings
• External causes of injury, etc.

ICD-10 includes over 68,000 codes, whereas its predecessor ICD-9 only had 13,000 codes. The codes of this revised version have greater detail about various diseases enabling healthcare providers to provide better care to patients. These codes also help track the outcomes of care and provide greater specificity for clinical decision-making [¹].

These codes are further divided into the following categories:

• ICD-10-CM (Clinical Modification)
• ICD-10-PCS (Procedure Coding System)

ICD-10-CM is used for diagnosis, whereas ICD-10-PCS is used in in-patient settings for coding procedures. These codes help healthcare providers categorize a patient’s symptoms and create specific treatment plans for them. Finding the right ICD-10 code depends on the type and location of a disease/condition.

What is the ICD-10 Code for cerebral palsy?

The ICD-10 code for cerebral palsy is G80. The code G80 falls under “Cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes” from G80-G83 [²].

Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term for disorders that affect a person's posture, ability to maintain balance, and ability to move. It is one of the most common childhood disabilities [³].

The table below lists the subcategories of the disease under code G80.

Cerebral palsy ICD-10 code: G80

Cerebral palsy ICD code G80 Lookup

Below is a table of the ICD-10 “Cerebral palsy” codes under G80 [⁴].

G80: Cerebral palsy

Types of Cerebral Palsy Coded Under G80

ICD-10 code G80 represents cerebral palsy and its following subtypes:

Spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy (G80.0): This type of cerebral palsy affects muscles by making them stiff and movement by making them jerky. Since it’s the most severe type of this condition, it can affect multiple areas of the body. In most cases, children with this condition are unable to walk.

Spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (G80.1): This type of cerebral palsy affects the legs more than the arms. It often includes stiff limbs.

Spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy (G80.2): This condition only affects one side of the body (in most cases, the arm).

Athetoid cerebral palsy (G80.3): This type of cerebral palsy is permanent and is caused by damage to an infant’s developing brain.

Ataxic cerebral palsy (G80.4): Children with this condition may have trouble performing activities like writing since they require small hand movements. They may also walk with more space between their legs.

While the stated types of CP are common, there are other less common forms of the condition too. These rare forms, such as "atonic cerebral palsy," come under G80.8. This rare variant only accounts for about 2.6% of all cases and is often very hard to diagnose. In most cases of this type of CP, the cause is usually difficult labor that may lead to oxygen loss and brain damage.

Similarly, code G80.9 represents other complications related to cerebral palsy. For example, “Thoracic neuromuscular scoliosis due to cerebral palsy” does not qualify to be under any other code because it isn’t a type of CP but a consequence of CP.

Types of Cerebral Palsy Excluded from ICD-10 G80

The code ICD-10 G80 covers all types of cerebral palsy. However, other paralytic syndromes are represented by other codes in the G80-G83 category.

They include the following:

• Hemiplegia and hemiparesis (G81) [⁵]
• Paraplegia and quadriplegia (G82) [⁶]
• Other paralytic syndromes (G83) [⁷]

Cerebral palsy mainly affects your movement, development, and coordination. But, conditions like paraplegia and quadriplegia represent specific types of paralysis. The former represents paralysis of the legs, and the latter represents paralysis of the arms and legs.

Conclusion

Reaching the right diagnostic conclusion is important to treat any condition effectively. By using specific codes, healthcare providers are able to create specific treatment plans for patients. In this case, distinguishing cerebral palsy from other types of paralytic syndromes is crucial.

While there is no cure for cerebral palsy at the moment, there are ways to manage it. A combination of supportive treatments, medications, and surgery can help patients improve their ability to move and use their motor skills.

Since it is a medically serious condition with lifelong implications, determining the right code is the only way to improve a patient’s quality of life. Assigning the right code depends on the causes and origins of a condition and its symptoms.

ICD-10 codes for cerebral palsy help doctors reach the right diagnostic conclusion, create detailed documentation and provide the best care to patients with the condition.