Embolism following complete or unsp spontaneous abortion

This code signifies the occurrence of an embolism as a complication following a complete or unspecified spontaneous abortion. An embolism involves the blockage of a blood vessel by a foreign body, such as a blood clot, air bubble, or fat globule, which has traveled from another part of the body. In this context, the embolism is directly attributable to the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy.

Apply this code when documentation clearly indicates an embolism developed after a spontaneous abortion that was either fully expelled or not specified as incomplete. This code is appropriate when the medical record explicitly links the embolic event to the spontaneous abortion.

• Always sequence this code after the code for the spontaneous abortion (O03.-).
• Ensure documentation specifies "spontaneous" abortion and not induced or missed abortion, as different codes apply.
• Confirm the type of embolism (e.g., pulmonary, cerebral) is also coded, if specified, as a secondary diagnosis.