Valentine’s Day is here and love is in the air! When Valentine’s Day comes to mind, many think blissful ideas such as the beautiful bouquets of roses, heart shaped jewelry, love, and a nice dinner accompanied with lots of sweets. As medical coders, we see the other side of things and what could potentially go wrong.

These beautiful bouquets of roses could cause J30.1 (allergic rhinitis due to pollen). If the bouquet has thorns or long leaves on the flowers it could cause W60.XXXA (contact with nonvenomous plant thorns and spines and sharp leaves, initial encounter). This could also cause S61.230 (puncture would without foreign body of right index finger without damage to nail).

Heart shaped and other types of jewelry could cause L23.0 (allergic contact dermatitis due to metals). If the jewelry is too tight, it could cause W49.04XA (ring or other jewelry causing external constriction).

Love can cause a lot of problems, so we won’t get into too much detail, but we can for sure say for the good it can cause R00.2 (palpitations). It can also cause R06.4 (hyperventilation) when your nerves get the best of you. With all the nerves that come along with being in love, it can cause you to sweat so watch out for R61 (generalized hyperhidrosis).

Of course, Valentine’s Day is typically accompanied with a nice dinner and always something sweet. When out to dinner with your loved one be sure to let your food cool off to avoid X10.1XXA (contact with hot food, initial encounter). While eating be sure to avoid T17.220A (food in pharynx causing asphyxiation, initial encounter). Also, be sure to limit your food and sweet intake to avoid R73.9 (hyperglycemia, unspecified) and K30 (functional dyspepsia).

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

If you are interested in learning more codes that deal with the heart, join our Advanced Cardiology Live Webinar with Terry Fletcher! Learn more on what Terry will cover here: https://mmiclasses.com/advanced-cardiology-webinar/