Main Term - ICD-10-CM - How to find it?

Patient is admitted to the hospital with streptococcal group B severe sepsis which has caused pneumonia. What codes are assigned?

A. A41.9, J15.3, R65.21
B. A41.9, R65.21
C. A40.1, J15.3, R65.20
D. A40.1, J15.3

The systemic infection is strep group b, and the localized infection is pneumonia. A and B are eliminated, because code A41.9 is for unspecified sepsis.

Where does pneumonia occur ? – Lungs (localized)

Where does Group B Strep infection? – Throughout the body (systemic)

When a patient has a blood test for HIV that is inconclusive, what ICD-10-CM code is assigned

a. Z21
b. R75
c. B20
d. Z11.4

Pneumonia due to adenovirus. What ICD-1-CM code is reported

a. B34.0
b. J12.0
c. B97.0
d. B30.1

The Main Term leads the coder to the ICD-10-CM code. Finding the main term requires you to read the medical chart carefully and understand the diagnosis.

In the examples above, I have highlighted and colored the main terms to be used to search for the codes in the Alphabetic Index.

For example, stomach pain. If you search using the main term “stomach” you will be re-directed to “see condition” What is the condition here? “Pain” Where is the pain located? In the stomach. So stomach is the location, pain is the condition or disease.

So search using the conditions, not locations.

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