ICD-10 Diagnosis Code L44.4

Also called: Dermatitis

Eczema is a term for several different types of skin swelling. Eczema is also called dermatitis. Most types cause dry, itchy skin and rashes on the face, inside the elbows and behind the knees, and on the hands and feet. Scratching the skin can cause it to turn red, and to swell and itch even more.

Eczema is not contagious. The cause is not known. It is likely caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Eczema may get better or worse over time, but it is often a long-lasting disease. People who have it may also develop hay fever and asthma.

The most common type of eczema is atopic dermatitis. It is most common in babies and children but adults can have it too. As children who have atopic dermatitis grow older, this problem may get better or go away. But sometimes the skin may stay dry and get irritated easily.

Treatments may include medicines, skin creams, light therapy, and good skin care. You can prevent some types of eczema by avoiding

• Things that irritate your skin, such as certain soaps, fabrics, and lotions
• Stress
• Things you are allergic to, such as food, pollen, and animals

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

• Atopic dermatitis - children - homecare (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Atopic dermatitis -- self-care (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Atopic eczema (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Dyshidrotic eczema (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Nummular eczema (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Seborrheic dermatitis (Medical Encyclopedia)

Also called: Dermatitis, Skin rash

A rash is an area of irritated or swollen skin. Many rashes are itchy, red, painful, and irritated. Some rashes can also lead to blisters or patches of raw skin. Rashes are a symptom of many different medical problems. Other causes include irritating substances and allergies. Certain genes can make people more likely to get rashes.

Contact dermatitis is a common type of rash. It causes redness, itching, and sometimes small bumps. You get the rash where you have touched an irritant, such as a chemical, or something you are allergic to, like poison ivy.

Some rashes develop right away. Others form over several days. Although most rashes clear up fairly quickly, others are long-lasting and need long-term treatment.

Because rashes can be caused by many different things, it's important to figure out what kind you have before you treat it. If it is a bad rash, if it does not go away, or if you have other symptoms, you should see your health care provider. Treatments may include moisturizers, lotions, baths, cortisone creams that relieve swelling, and antihistamines, which relieve itching.

• "Hot Tub Rash" and "Swimmer's Ear" (Pseudomonas) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Contact dermatitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Diaper rash (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Hot tub folliculitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Pityriasis rosea (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Rash - child under 2 years (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Rashes (Medical Encyclopedia)

General Equivalence Map Definitions
The ICD-10 and ICD-9 GEMs are used to facilitate linking between the diagnosis codes in ICD-9-CM and the new ICD-10-CM code set. The GEMs are the raw material from which providers, health information vendors and payers can derive specific applied mappings to meet their needs.

• Approximate Flag - The approximate flag is on, indicating that the relationship between the code in the source system and the code in the target system is an approximate equivalent.
• No Map Flag - The no map flag indicates that a code in the source system is not linked to any code in the target system.
• Combination Flag - The combination flag indicates that more than one code in the target system is required to satisfy the full equivalent meaning of a code in the source system.

Present on Admission
The Present on Admission (POA) indicator is used for diagnosis codes included in claims involving inpatient admissions to general acute care hospitals. POA indicators must be reported to CMS on each claim to facilitate the grouping of diagnoses codes into the proper Diagnostic Related Groups (DRG). CMS publishes a listing of specific diagnosis codes that are exempt from the POA reporting requirement.