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

Published 15 June 2015,
for implementation 01 July 2015.

Ref No: Q2938 | Published On: 15-Jun-2015 | Status: Current

SUBJECT: Drug-induced anaemia

Q:

How do you code drug-induced anaemia when the type of anaemia has not been specified?

A:

Drug-induced anaemia may manifest as haemolytic anaemia (due to erythrocyte injury in peripheral blood) or megaloblastic anaemia, ringed sideroblastic anaemia or pure red cell aplasia (due to damage of erythroid progenitor cells or erythroblasts). Chemotherapy (antineoplastic cytotoxic agents), particularly, may reduce haemoglobin levels by inducing a suppressive effect on bone marrow and toxic effects on erythrocytes.

ICD-10 and ICD-10-AM list a number of specific types of anaemia; some of the specific types are further specified as drug-induced (eg aplastic, haemolytic etc). These options should only be coded when the type of anaemia is documented.

Where drug-induced anaemia is documented without specification of the type of anaemia, assign:

D64.9 Anaemia, unspecified

with an additional code from Y40-Y59 Drugs, medicaments and biological substances causing adverse effects in therapeutic use to identify the external cause (see Alphabetic Index/Table of Drugs and Chemicals)

and Y92.22 Health service area.

References:

Dan, K. (2008). Drug-induced anemia. Japanese Journal of Clinical Medicine [2008, 66(3):540-543]. Retrieved from http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/18326323

Wilson, S., Silberstein, P. and Aldoss, I. (2008). Chemotherapy-induced anaemia. Asia-Pacific oncology & haematology, 2008;1(1):24-6. Retrieved from http://www.touchoncology.com/articles/chemotherapy-induced-anaemia