NIHSS score 28

This code indicates a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 28. The NIHSS is a systematic assessment tool used to quantify neurological deficits in acute stroke patients, with higher scores indicating more severe neurological impairment. A score of 28 represents a very severe stroke.

This code is used when a patient's NIHSS assessment results in a score of 28, typically documented during the acute phase of an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. It should be applied when the physician's documentation clearly states the NIHSS score as 28.

• Always ensure the physician's documentation explicitly states "NIHSS score 28" or provides a detailed breakdown of the assessment that totals 28.
• Do not assign this code based solely on the severity of the stroke without explicit NIHSS score documentation.
• This code is typically sequenced after the primary stroke diagnosis (e.g., I63.x for ischemic stroke).