Instructional Notations Flashcards
NEC
Not elsewhere classifiable
NOS
Not otherwise specified
Brackets
Enclose synonyms, alternate wording, or explanatory phrases. They identify manifestation codes
Parentheses
Enclose supplementary works that may be present or absent in the statement of a disease or procedure without affecting the code
Non essential modifiers
terms within the parentheses following main terms
they may or may not be essential
Colon
- used in the tabular list after an incomplete term that needs one or more of the modifiers following the colon to make it assignable to a given category
And
—interpreted to mean either “and” or “or” when it appears in a title
With
—Interpreted to mean “associated with” or “due to.” Presumes a causal relationship between two conditions
Indicates two conditions are included in the code
Includes
—This note appears immediately under a three-character code title to further define, or give examples of, the content of the category
Excludes1
NOT CODED HERE
Excludes2
—Not included here. Condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time
Code first
The code is sequenced first
Additional code
—An additional code be required to fully describe the condition
Code also
—instructs that two codes may be required to fully describe the condition, but this note does not provide sequencing direction
“See category “
Directs coder to use tabular list for additional information
“See”
Explicit direction to look elsewhere
Notes
Defines and gives instruction
Subterm
Terms indented under main terms considered essential modifiers
See also
Direct coder to look under another term if all information is not located under the first term.
