Pre-existing essential htn comp pregnancy, second trimester

This code signifies a pregnant patient with a pre-existing diagnosis of essential hypertension, meaning high blood pressure that existed prior to conception or before 20 weeks gestation, and is now being managed during the second trimester of her current pregnancy. It indicates that the chronic hypertension is a complicating factor in the pregnancy.

Apply this code when documentation clearly states a patient has pre-existing essential hypertension and is currently in her second trimester of pregnancy. This diagnosis should be supported by a history of hypertension prior to pregnancy or early in gestation, and the current encounter is for management of this condition during the specified trimester.

• Always confirm the trimester of pregnancy from the medical record to ensure accurate trimester-specific coding.
• Distinguish pre-existing essential hypertension from gestational hypertension (hypertension that develops after 20 weeks of gestation) or pre-eclampsia.
• Sequence this code as a primary diagnosis when the encounter is primarily for the management of the hypertension complicating pregnancy, or as a secondary diagnosis when another condition is the primary reason for the encounter.