Question

Joe, a 26-year-old male nurse at General Hospital was tending to an HIV + inpatient. After a walk, as Joe was helping the inpatient back into bed, the patient lost balance and in Joe’s haste to catch the patient, both fell. Joe suffered a minor cut to the hand but didn’t realize it until after the patient was tucked back into bed. The DON insisted that Joe report immediately to the hospital lab for HIV testing.
Dx: Screening for HIV following contact with and suspected exposure to HIV

Codes: ________

Answer 1

1.Code for patients with HIV related illness-042

2.For asymptomatic HIV infection- new code V08

3.Code for Inconclusive serological finding for human immunodeficiency virus-795.71 (Here it is applicable for those patient test positive for preliminary screening test, but whose HIV infection status is not yet confirmed)

3. If the diseases caused by HIV 2, then the code for HIV 2 infection-079.53

4. Code for laboratory examination-V72.6

Assigned for patients for HIV testing only, when the HIV test results are informed to the patient,V72.6 is not used. If the result negative code V65.44 is used. If the result is positive then code V08 for asymptomatic infection is used until the patient has symptoms of HIV.

In this Joe's situation , most probably the code is V72.6, as he is undergoing a laboratory test. If the result is negative then cord V65.44 is used and if the result is positive then V08 is used for asymptomatic infection and unless symptoms of HIV are seen . And when he starts to show symptoms of HIV code 042 is used.