Which code corresponds to Mild, depressed?

Which code corresponds to Mild, depressed?

• A. F31.31
• B. F31.12
• C. F31.13
• D. F31.4

Answer: (A)

In this topic, you’re learning how bipolar disorders are coded by current episode and severity. For bipolar affective disorder, the F31 category is used, and the digits after it specify the mood state (depressed, manic, etc.) and how severe that state is. Mild, depressed means you have a current depressive episode with mild severity. The code that matches this combination is F31.31, because the depressive current-episode pattern is indicated in the middle digits, and the final digit denotes mild severity. So it specifically encodes a bipolar disorder in a depressive phase with mild intensity. The other codes differ in either the mood state (for example, a manic episode) or in the severity level (moderate, severe, etc.). That’s why they don’t fit the description of “Mild, depressed.”

In this topic, you’re learning how bipolar disorders are coded by current episode and severity. For bipolar affective disorder, the F31 category is used, and the digits after it specify the mood state (depressed, manic, etc.) and how severe that state is.

Mild, depressed means you have a current depressive episode with mild severity. The code that matches this combination is F31.31, because the depressive current-episode pattern is indicated in the middle digits, and the final digit denotes mild severity. So it specifically encodes a bipolar disorder in a depressive phase with mild intensity.

The other codes differ in either the mood state (for example, a manic episode) or in the severity level (moderate, severe, etc.). That’s why they don’t fit the description of “Mild, depressed.”