Stacey Presents to the Emergency Room with Severe Abdominal Cramping

Multiple Choice

Stacey presents to the Emergency Room with severe abdominal cramping, nausea, and diarrhea, worsening over the last three hours. Stacey's 4-year-old daughter has stayed home from daycare the last two days with the stomach flu. Stacey also ate shellfish for dinner at a local seafood restaurant. After noting Stacey's signs and symptoms and performing a problem-focused examination, the ED physician was unable to make a definitive diagnosis regarding Stacey's stomach troubles. She did note, however, that Stacey's condition is "probable food poisoning." Based on outpatient coding guidelines, what diagnosis(es) may the ED coder assign for Stacey's encounter?

A) Codes for severe abdominal cramping, nausea, and diarrhea
B) Codes for food poisoning, unspecified, severe abdominal cramping, nausea, and diarrhea
C) Codes for severe abdominal cramping and diarrhea
D) A code for food poisoning, unspecified