Postconcussion syndrome

This code represents a complex constellation of symptoms that can persist for weeks, months, or even longer following a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury. These symptoms often include headache, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and memory problems. It is a functional diagnosis based on the presence of these persistent symptoms after head trauma.

Use this code when documentation clearly indicates a patient is experiencing a collection of post-concussive symptoms that continue beyond the acute recovery phase of a head injury. This diagnosis is typically supported by a history of head trauma and a physician's assessment confirming the presence of characteristic symptoms without other identifiable causes.

• Ensure the medical record explicitly states "postconcussion syndrome" or details a sufficient number of persistent post-concussive symptoms to warrant this diagnosis.
• Do not use this code for acute concussion symptoms; instead, use appropriate codes for acute head injury.
• Consider sequencing this code after the initial head injury code if the patient is still within the acute phase but developing persistent symptoms.