We hear a lot about the incidence of Pneumonia in the general population, especially in the winter months. We also find this diagnosis in many settings all across healthcare, not just inpatient. The clinical coding of this condition involves understanding the clinical aspects as well as the specific coding guidelines.

Often in emergency and acute care healthcare settings, we find patients with a diagnosis of “Respiratory Failure.” Clinical coding and clinical documentation improvement (CDI) professionals need to have a strong knowledge and understanding of both medical/clinical aspects of diseases as well as the coding guidelines and rules. This blog includes a brief discussion of the clinical aspects and ICD-10-CM coding of Respiratory Failure.