Poisoning by antitussives, accidental (unintentional), init

This diagnosis code signifies an accidental overdose or adverse reaction to an antitussive medication, such as dextromethorphan or codeine, resulting in a toxic effect on the patient. The "initial encounter" designation indicates that the patient is receiving active treatment for the poisoning.

Apply this code when a patient presents to an emergency department or clinic with symptoms of poisoning due to unintentional ingestion of an antitussive. This includes cases where a patient mistakenly takes too much of their own cough medicine or accidentally ingests another person's antitussive.

• Ensure documentation clearly states the poisoning was accidental and due to an antitussive.
• Always assign an additional code for the specific manifestation of the poisoning (e.g., altered mental status, respiratory depression).
• Verify the encounter is indeed the initial one for this specific poisoning event. Subsequent encounters would use different seventh characters.