Hungry bone syndrome

This code represents hungry bone syndrome, a severe and prolonged hypocalcemia that occurs after surgical correction of hyperparathyroidism or, less commonly, after thyroidectomy for Graves' disease. It is characterized by rapid and extensive uptake of calcium, phosphate, and magnesium into bone, leading to electrolyte imbalances.

Use this code for patients experiencing symptomatic hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, and hypomagnesemia following parathyroidectomy or thyroidectomy, particularly when bone turnover markers indicate increased bone formation. Documentation should clearly link the electrolyte disturbances to the surgical intervention and exclude other causes of hypocalcemia.

• Ensure documentation specifies the surgical procedure that precipitated the syndrome.
• Distinguish from other causes of postoperative hypocalcemia, such as transient parathyroid stunning.
• Consider co-reporting with codes for underlying hyperparathyroidism (e.g., 252.00-252.08) or Graves' disease (e.g., 242.00-242.01).