The chaotic electrical signals cause a disordered, ineffective muscular movement of the atrium and unpredictable propulsion of the electrical signal. It is caused by dysfunction of the heart’s electrical system, with risk factors such as advanced age, genetic predisposition, structural and valvular heart disease, hypertension, alcohol, lung and thyroid disease. Atrial fibrillation is a dysrhythmia which occurs when the sinus node is no longer sending out regular impulses for a rhythmic contraction of the heart muscle. I believe the answer revealed a lack of understanding of the clinical situation. The submitted question regarded a patient who was on antiarrhythmic drugs for atrial fibrillation and the provider documented, “Chronic persistent atrial fibrillation.” The question posed was, “should I48.1, persistent atrial fibrillation or I48.2, chronic atrial fibrillation be coded?” The answer was to use persistent atrial fibrillation because it is a more specific code.

My objection, though, is that the explanation for the coding advice is not clinically sound. Fortunately, after October 2019, the advice will be nullified anyway. I reviewed the Coding Clinic from Second Quarter and disagree with the reasoning for the first question regarding atrial fibrillation, although I do not have a problem with their solution. The author shares her thoughts on atrial fibrillation in the AHA Q2 Coding Clinic.

Episodic atrial flutter icd 10