2025 ICD-10-CM code I48.92
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Deletion Date: N/A Cardiac arrhythmias - Other forms of heart disease Diseases of the circulatory system Feed
Unspecified atrial flutter is a type of heart arrhythmia where the atria beat rapidly and irregularly.
Medical necessity for coding I48.92 is established by the presence of clinical symptoms (such as palpitations, shortness of breath, lightheadedness) and confirmation via ECG or other diagnostic studies. The physician's documentation should clearly link the symptoms to the diagnosis and justify the use of resources for its assessment and management.
The clinical responsibility for coding I48.92 lies with the physician or qualified healthcare professional who interprets the electrocardiogram (ECG) or other diagnostic tests to determine the presence and type of arrhythmia. They must document the findings sufficiently for accurate coding.
- Diseases of the circulatory system
- I48.92 falls under the broader category of I48 (Atrial fibrillation and flutter).
In simple words: Unspecified atrial flutter is a heart problem where the upper chambers (atria) of your heart beat too fast and in a regular pattern.The doctor uses this code when they can't tell the exact type of atrial flutter from the test results.
Unspecified atrial flutter (I48.92) is an ICD-10-CM code representing a cardiac arrhythmia characterized by rapid, regular atrial contractions.This code is used when the specific type of atrial flutter (typical or atypical) cannot be determined from the available medical documentation.It's crucial to differentiate this from atrial fibrillation, another arrhythmia with irregular atrial activity.Accurate coding relies on precise clinical documentation specifying the nature of the atrial rhythm disturbance.
Example 1: A 65-year-old male patient presents with palpitations and shortness of breath. An ECG reveals a rapid, regular atrial rhythm consistent with atrial flutter, but the specific type cannot be definitively determined. The physician documents "atrial flutter" without specifying typical or atypical.I48.92 is the appropriate code., A 72-year-old female patient undergoes a cardiac workup for syncope. ECG and echocardiography reveal atrial flutter, but further investigation is needed to determine whether it is typical or atypical.The physician documents the findings as "atrial flutter, type unspecified," thus I48.92 is used., A 48-year-old patient with a history of heart disease reports new onset of rapid heartbeat. An ECG reveals atrial flutter, but the documentation lacks details about the type of flutter.Because the specifics of the flutter type are unknown, I48.92 is correctly applied.
Complete and accurate ECG tracing demonstrating the rapid, regular atrial rhythm characteristic of atrial flutter.If possible, documentation specifying typical or atypical should be included to allow for more precise coding.Physician's interpretation and clinical notes clarifying the diagnosis are essential.
** This code should only be utilized when the type of atrial flutter is truly unspecifiable.Efforts should be made to gather further clinical information to allow for more precise coding.The use of this code may impact reimbursement depending on payer policies.Always check payer-specific guidelines.
- Payment Status: Active
- Specialties:Cardiology, Electrophysiology
- Place of Service:Office, Hospital Inpatient, Hospital Outpatient, Emergency Room - Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center