How do you code headache due to anaesthesia (other than spinal and epidural anaesthesia)?
To code headache due to anaesthetic drugs or anaesthesia in ICD-10-AM Sixth Edition, follow the guidelines in ACS 1904 Procedural complications and ACS 1902 Adverse effects, Drugs. For headache due to anaesthetic drugs, follow the index pathway: Headache – drug induced NEC G44.4 and assign G44.4 Drug-induced headache, not elsewhere classified with an external cause code to identify the drug. If the headache is specified as due to anaesthesia, but not specifically the anaesthetic drugs, follow the index pathway: Complications – anaesthesia, anaesthetic NEC (see also Anaesthesia, complication or reaction NEC) T88.5 and assign T88.5 Other complications of anaesthesia with R51 Headache as an additional diagnosis to complete the clinical picture.
