Understanding Wide Complex Tachycardia diagnosis, treatment, and documentation is crucial for healthcare professionals. This resource provides information on WCT differential diagnosis, including ventricular tachycardia, supraventricular tachycardia with aberrancy, and pre-excited tachycardias. Learn about ECG interpretation, clinical features, management strategies, and appropriate ICD-10 coding (I47.9) for accurate medical billing and reporting. Explore best practices for clinical documentation improvement related to WCT and improve your understanding of this complex cardiac arrhythmia.
Also known as
Paroxysmal tachycardia, unspecified
Rapid, irregular heartbeat starting and stopping suddenly.
Ventricular tachycardia
A rapid heartbeat originating in the ventricles of the heart.
Supraventricular tachycardia
A rapid heartbeat originating above the ventricles.
Tachycardia, unspecified
A general term for a rapid heart rate.
Follow this step-by-step guide to choose the correct ICD-10 code.
Is the WCT regular?
Yes
Is it monomorphic?
No
Is it polymorphic?
When to use each related code
Description |
---|
Wide complex tachycardia |
Ventricular tachycardia (VT) |
Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) with aberrancy |
Coding WCT without specifying type (e.g., SVT with aberrancy, VT) leads to inaccurate DRG assignment and reimbursement.
Miscoding atrial fibrillation with pre-excitation as WCT can impact quality metrics and clinical documentation integrity.
Lack of clear documentation specifying WCT etiology (e.g., SVT, VT) hinders accurate coding and compliance audits.
Patient presents with wide complex tachycardia (WCT). Onset of palpitations was reported as [sudden/gradual] and associated symptoms include [list symptoms e.g., chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, syncope, presyncope, diaphoresis, nausea]. Symptoms duration is approximately [duration]. Past medical history includes [list relevant PMH e.g., coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, hypertension, prior myocardial infarction, electrolyte abnormalities such as hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia]. Medications include [list medications]. Family history is significant for [list relevant family history e.g., sudden cardiac death, cardiomyopathy, ion channel disorders]. 12-lead ECG demonstrates a wide QRS complex tachycardia with a rate of [heart rate] bpm. Morphology is consistent with [e.g., right bundle branch block, left bundle branch block, nonspecific intraventricular conduction delay]. Precordial concordance [is/is not] present. Axis is [axis]. Differential diagnosis includes ventricular tachycardia, supraventricular tachycardia with aberrancy, and pre-excited tachycardia. Initial treatment included [e.g., vagal maneuvers, adenosine, intravenous amiodarone, synchronized cardioversion]. Patient responded to [treatment] with conversion to [rhythm e.g., sinus rhythm, atrial fibrillation]. Post-conversion ECG shows [ECG findings e.g., normal sinus rhythm, evidence of ischemia, pre-excitation]. Troponin levels were [level]. Electrolyte levels were within normal limits or show [specific electrolyte abnormalities]. The patient is currently [stable/unstable]. Plan is for [e.g., continuous cardiac monitoring, echocardiogram, electrophysiology consult, further investigation for underlying causes]. Discharge medications include [list medications]. Patient education provided on [e.g., medication compliance, symptom recognition, follow-up care].