E13.42

HCC Category Mapping

What This Code Means

This code describes a type of diabetes (not type 1 or type 2) that causes nerve damage affecting multiple nerves, typically in the hands and feet, resulting in weakness, numbness, or pain. It's used when the diabetes is caused by something other than the typical causes of type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Coding Tips

• •Verify the diabetes type is documented as 'other specified' rather than type 1 or type 2, as using the wrong diabetes type code is a common error
• •Ensure polyneuropathy is explicitly documented in the medical record; do not assume nerve damage exists without clinical documentation of symptoms or diagnostic findings

Clinical Significance

E13.42 identifies diabetic polyneuropathy in other specified diabetes mellitus, the most common form of diabetic neuropathy. It presents as a symmetric, length-dependent sensorimotor neuropathy affecting distal extremities first ('stocking-glove' pattern), causing numbness, tingling, burning pain, and eventual loss of protective sensation increasing fall and ulceration risk.

Documentation Requirements

• ✓Documentation must confirm secondary diabetes, specify polyneuropathy (as opposed to mononeuropathy or autonomic neuropathy), and link it to the diabetic condition.
• ✓Clinical examination findings including reduced sensation, absent reflexes, or positive monofilament testing should be recorded.

Commonly Confused Codes