Poisoning by spinal anesthetics

This code signifies an adverse reaction or toxic effect resulting from the administration of a spinal anesthetic agent. It encompasses systemic toxicity, allergic reactions, or other harmful effects directly attributable to the drug itself, rather than complications of the procedure.

Apply this code when documentation clearly indicates a patient experienced poisoning from a spinal anesthetic, such as bupivacaine, lidocaine, or ropivacaine. This includes scenarios like inadvertent intravascular injection leading to systemic toxicity, or an overdose of the anesthetic agent. Supporting documentation should detail the specific anesthetic involved and the resulting adverse symptoms.

• Always sequence this code as a secondary diagnosis, following the code for the manifestation of the poisoning (e.g., convulsions, cardiac arrest).
• Distinguish from complications of spinal anesthesia procedure (e.g., post-dural puncture headache, nerve injury), which are coded differently.
• Ensure the documentation specifies "poisoning" or "toxic effect" rather than just an adverse effect or allergic reaction, unless the latter is severe enough to be considered a poisoning.