Smoking ICD 10 Code

Refresher: What are ICD-10 codes?

ICD-10 is the tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases by the World Health Organization. It is a catalog of codes that help healthcare providers diagnose different medical conditions. The code is assigned based on the origins and location of a disease/condition.

The tenth version of this catalog has undergone various revisions over the years. It took over ICD-9 primarily because the ninth version was outdated and lacked in-depth detail about diseases/conditions.

The 10th edition of ICD has over 68,000 codes which facilitate better diagnostic accuracy and better outcomes for patients. These codes are divided into two categories:

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

ICD-10-CM codes help with the diagnosis of diseases, whereas ICD-10-PCS has codes specific to inpatient coding.

The International Classification of Diseases has been translated into 43 languages, making it more accessible to all Member States. Furthermore, many countries use this system to report mortality data [1].

What is the ICD 10 code for nicotine dependence?

The primary smoking ICD-10 code is F17 which represents “nicotine dependence” [2]. Nicotine dependence in the form of cigarettes is mainly covered under F17.21 [3].

Nicotine dependence is a condition in which a person is addicted to tobacco products containing nicotine. There are various psychological and physical factors that make it difficult to leave the addiction behind.

Nicotine dependence ICD-10 code: F17

Nicotine dependence/smoking-ICD code F17 Lookup

Below is a table of the ICD-10 smoking codes for “nicotine dependence.”

F17: Nicotine dependence

Types of Nicotine Dependence Coded Under F17

ICD-10 code F17 “Nicotine dependence,” represents different types of nicotine dependence, such as:

• Dependence due to cigarettes (F17.21)
• Dependence due to chewing tobacco (F17.22) [4]
• Dependence due to other tobacco products (F17.29) [5]

Furthermore, each subcategory has 5 possible classifications:

Uncomplicated: A case is uncomplicated when the criteria for withdrawal, remission, or nicotine-induced disorders is not relevant.

With withdrawal: Withdrawal occurs in the form of psychological or physiological disturbance after nicotine removal. The symptoms include but are not limited to:

• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Depression
• Anger
• Frustration
• Difficulty concentrating
• Insomnia
• Increased hunger
• Strong cravings
• Headache
• Bowel changes

In remission: A healthcare provider states “in remission” in either of the two ways:

• Early remission (At least one month but less than 12 months)
• Sustained remission (A period of 12 months or longer)

With other nicotine-induced disorders: Nicotine-induced disorders include respiratory diseases such as:

• Emphysema or asthma
• Cataracts
• Diabetes
• Chronic bronchitis
• Heart disease
• Impotence
• Loss of smell or taste
• Gum disease
• Cancers (These are coded separately)

The provider must document the relationship between the medical condition and nicotine dependence.

It’s important to differentiate between the type of addiction/dependence because their severity differs. For example, both smoking and chewing tobacco are linked to nicotine, but the latter contains more nicotine than the former.

In fact, quitting chewing tobacco can be much more difficult than quitting smoking cigarettes. Chewing tobacco for half an hour gives you the same amount of nicotine as smoking three cigarettes.

However, in some cases, the true cause of nicotine dependence remains unclear. Such cases are represented by the category “nicotine dependence, unspecified.”

Types of Nicotine Dependence Excluded from F17

While nicotine dependence is vastly covered under F17, some additional complications are not a part of it. For example,

• Tobacco use (smoking) during pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium comes under 099.33 [6]
• Toxic effect of nicotine is covered under T65.2 [7]

Toxic effects of nicotine are also divided into various categories, such as:

• Toxic effects of tobacco cigarettes
• Toxic effect of chewing tobacco
• Toxic effects of other tobacco and nicotine, etc.

Similarly, pregnancy-related complications come under a separate code altogether because they include complications caused by various other conditions and not just nicotine.

Nonetheless, specifying a diagnosis through a code is crucial for creating the right treatment plan, as it also ensures efficiency in medical billing.

Conclusion

The process of coding ensures that patients receive the required treatment for their disease/condition. Several medical billing and coding companies use ICD-10 codes to provide quality healthcare to patients across the country.

ICD-10 codes for nicotine dependence help healthcare providers specify their diagnoses because nicotine dependence due to smoking has a different prognosis than dependence due to other factors.

By standardizing processes, healthcare providers are able to better monitor and record their treatment plans. This further ensures that everyone gets the right quality of care.

ICD-10 codes also ensure the recording of accurate information, which helps doctors retain confidence in their treatment plans. Diagnosing nicotine dependence is not complicated, but determining its causes can be daunting. Only through accurate diagnosis can doctors continue to create relevant treatment plans.

For example, those who smoke or chew tobacco might require different forms of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). There are different formulations of NRTs available based on your complications.

All in all, through ICD-10 codes, doctors have been able to reduce inconsistencies in their diagnoses, create detailed documentation and provide the best care to patients suffering from nicotine dependence.