2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code F18.221

Inhalant dependence with intoxication delirium

ICD-10-CM Code:
F18.221
ICD-10 Code for:
Inhalant dependence with intoxication delirium
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Chronic
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Mental and behavioural disorders
    (F01–F99)
    • Mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use
      (F10-F19)
      • Inhalant related disorders
        (F18)

F18.221 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of inhalant dependence with intoxication delirium. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024.

Clinical Classification

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Convert F18.221 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 292.81 - Drug-induced delirium
    Combination Flag - Multiple codes are needed to describe the source diagnosis code. Correct coding should be done based on contextual judgment.
  • ICD-9-CM Code: 304.60 - Drug depend NEC-unspec
    Combination Flag - Multiple codes are needed to describe the source diagnosis code. Correct coding should be done based on contextual judgment.

Patient Education


Delirium

What is delirium?

Delirium is a mental state in which you are confused, disoriented, and not able to think or remember clearly. It usually starts suddenly. It is often temporary and treatable.

There are three types of delirium:

  • Hypoactive, where you are not active and seem sleepy, tired, or depressed
  • Hyperactive, where you are restless or agitated
  • Mixed, where you change back and forth between being hypoactive and hyperactive

What causes delirium?

There are many different problems that can cause delirium. Some of the more common causes include:

  • Alcohol or drugs, either from intoxication or withdrawal. This includes a serious type of alcohol withdrawal syndrome called delirium tremens. It usually happens to people who stop drinking after years of alcohol abuse.
  • Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances
  • Dementia
  • Hospitalization, especially in intensive care
  • Infections, such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and the flu
  • Medicines. This could be a side effect of a medicine, such as sedatives or opioids. Or it could be withdrawal after stopping a medicine.
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Organ failure, such as kidney or liver failure
  • Poisoning
  • Serious illnesses
  • Severe pain
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Surgeries, including reactions to anesthesia

Who is at risk for delirium?

Certain factors put you at risk for delirium, including:

  • Being in a hospital or nursing home
  • Dementia
  • Having a serious illness or more than one illness
  • Having an infection
  • Older age
  • Surgery
  • Taking medicines that affect the mind or behavior
  • Taking high doses of pain medicines, such as opioids

What are the symptoms of delirium?

The symptoms of delirium usually start suddenly, over a few hours or a few days. They often come and go. The most common symptoms include:

  • Changes in alertness (usually more alert in the morning, less at night)
  • Changing levels of consciousness
  • Confusion
  • Disorganized thinking, talking in a way that doesn't make sense
  • Disrupted sleep patterns, sleepiness
  • Emotional changes: anger, agitation, depression, irritability, overexcitement
  • Hallucinations and delusions
  • Incontinence
  • Memory problems, especially with short-term memory
  • Trouble concentrating

How is delirium diagnosed?

Your health care provider may use many tools to make a diagnosis:

  • A medical history, which includes asking about your symptoms
  • Physical and neurological exams
  • Mental status testing
  • Lab and diagnostic imaging tests

Delirium and dementia have similar symptoms, so it can be hard to tell them apart. They can also occur together. Delirium starts suddenly and can cause hallucinations. The symptoms may get better or worse and can last for hours or weeks. On the other hand, dementia develops slowly and does not cause hallucinations. The symptoms are stable and may last for months or years.

What are the treatments for delirium?

Treatment of delirium focuses on the causes and symptoms of delirium. The first step is to identify the cause. Often, treating the cause will lead to a full recovery. The recovery may take some time - weeks or sometimes even months. In the meantime, there may be treatments to manage the symptoms, such as:

  • Controlling the environment, which includes making sure that the room is quiet and well-lit, having clocks or calendars in view, and having family members around
  • Medicines, including those that control aggression or agitation and pain relievers if there is pain
  • If needed, making sure that the person has a hearing aid, glasses, or other devices for communication

Can delirium be prevented?

Treating the conditions that can cause delirium may reduce the risk of getting it. Hospitals can help lower the risk of delirium by avoiding sedatives and making sure that the room is kept quiet, calm, and well-lit. It can also help to have family members around and to have the same staff members treat the person.


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Inhalants

What are inhalants?

Inhalants are substances that people inhale (breathe in) to get high. There are other substances that people might inhale, such as alcohol. But those are not called inhalants, because they can also be used another way. Inhalants are the substances that you can misuse only by inhaling them.

Using inhalants to try to get high, even once, can be very harmful to your brain and body. It can even lead to death.

What are the types of inhalants?

Inhalants are often products that are easily bought and can be found in the home or workplace. They contain dangerous substances that have psychoactive (mind-altering) properties when they are inhaled. There are four main types of inhalants are:

  • Solvents, which are liquids that become gas at room temperature. They include paint thinner, nail polish remover, gasoline, and glue.
  • Aerosol sprays, such as spray paint, deodorant spray, and vegetable oil sprays
  • Gases, including gas from lighters, whipped cream dispensers, and laughing gas
  • Nitrites (prescription medicines for chest pain)

Some of the common slang terms for various inhalants include:

  • Bold
  • Laughing gas
  • Poppers
  • Rush
  • Snappers
  • Whippets

How do people use inhalants?

People who use inhalants breathe in the fumes through their nose or mouth, usually by "sniffing," "snorting," "bagging," or "huffing." It's called different names depending on the substance and equipment used.

The high that inhalants produce usually lasts just a few minutes, so people often try to make it last by inhaling them again and again over several hours.

Who uses inhalants?

Inhalants are mostly used by young kids and teens. They often try inhalants before they try other substances because inhalants are easier to get.

What are the signs that someone is using inhalants?

Signs that someone is using inhalants include:

  • Chemical odors on breath or clothing
  • Paint or other stains on face, hands, or clothes
  • Hidden empty spray paint or solvent containers and chemical-soaked rags or clothing
  • Red or runny eyes or nose
  • Drunk or disoriented appearance
  • Slurred speech
  • Nausea or loss of appetite
  • Inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability, and depression

What are the health effects of using inhalants?

Most inhalants affect your central nervous system and slow down brain activity. Inhalants can cause both short-term and long-term health effects:

  • Short-term health effects include slurred or distorted speech, lack of coordination, euphoria (feeling "high"), dizziness, and hallucinations
  • Long-term health effects may include liver and kidney damage, loss of coordination, limb spasms, delayed behavioral development, and brain damage

Using inhalants, even once, could lead to an overdose. This can cause you to have seizures or your heart to stop. It can also be deadly.

Are inhalants addictive?

Addiction to inhalants is rare, but it can happen if you use them repeatedly. Stopping them can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, problems sleeping, and mood changes.

Behavioral therapy may help people who are addicted to inhalants.

Can inhalant misuse be prevented?

To try to prevent inhalant abuse, parents should talk to their children about it. They should discuss the dangers of inhalants and how to deal with peer pressure if someone asks them to try it.

NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.

Footnotes

[1] Chronic - a chronic condition code indicates a condition lasting 12 months or longer and its effect on the patient based on one or both of the following criteria:

  • The condition results in the need for ongoing intervention with medical products,treatment, services, and special equipment
  • The condition places limitations on self-care, independent living, and social interactions.