Coding Rules Current as at 18-Oct-2016 08: 31

Published 15 June 2015,
for implementation 01 July 2015.

Ref No: Q2980 | Published On: 15-Jun-2015 | Status: Current

SUBJECT: Z58.7 Exposure to tobacco smoke (passive smoking)

Q:

Can Z58.7 Exposure to tobacco smoke be assigned when passive smoking is documented as the cause of a condition?

A:


NOT APPLICABLE TO NEW ZEALAND
Z58.7 Exposure to tobacco smoke is a WHO code that was implemented in ICD-10-AM Fifth Edition. The decision at the time of implementation, which was included in the pre-implementation education, was that the code should not be assigned because there was no accompanying standard to guide its assignment, and this has been supported and reinforced by a number of states in the intervening years.

The above advice was never officially included in the Australian Coding Standards (ACS). Therefore, a decision was made to list Z58.7 Exposure to tobacco smoke in the new Ninth Edition ACS 0049 Disease codes that must never be assigned to support the original advice. An ACS 0049 symbol has been added to Z58.7 in the ICD-10-AM Tabular List.

The above is an interim measure; ACCD has tentatively included the creation of specific guidelines for the assignment of Z58.7 on its work program for Tenth Edition. Until such guidelines are developed, Z58.7 must never be assigned for inpatient morbidity coding, as per the instructions in ACS 0049.