Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) Practice Exam

The choice of coding for a patient with hypertension, acute renal failure, and chronic kidney disease requires an understanding of the specific conditions and how they relate to one another.

The correct answer combines multiple codes to accurately reflect the patient's conditions. The first code, N17.9, indicates acute kidney failure, which is necessary to capture the acute renal failure diagnosis. This code corresponds specifically to the acute nature of the patient's kidney condition. The second code, I12.9, represents hypertensive heart AND chronic kidney disease. This code is crucial because it acknowledges the patient's hypertension as it relates to their kidney disease, allowing for a complete picture of how the hypertension contributes to the patient's overall condition. Lastly, N18.3 is used to denote chronic kidney disease stage 3, detailing the chronic aspect of the patient's renal health.

Together, these codes provide a comprehensive view of the patient's health status: the acute and chronic aspects of their kidney issues and the impact of hypertension. Using individual codes allows for greater specificity, which is essential for accurate coding and billing, as well as to inform treatment decisions and healthcare outcomes.

The other options do not sufficiently represent the full clinical picture. For example, some of them lack the necessary codes to indicate both the acute and chronic