A patient was admitted with severe abdominal pain, elevated temperature, and nausea. The physical examination indicated possible cholecystitis. Acute and chronic pancreatitits secondary to alcoholism was recorded on the face sheet as the final diagnosis. The principal diagnosis is
The principal diagnosis is defined as the condition established after study to be chiefly responsible for occasioning the admission of the patient to the hospital for care. Although the patient presented with severe abdominal pain, elevated temperature, and nausea, which led to consideration of cholecystitis, the final diagnosis was acute and chronic pancreatitis secondary to alcoholism. Therefore, the principal diagnosis is acute pancreatitis, as it was the condition identified after further study that necessitated the patient's admission.
The answer to this question is Chronic Pancreatitis: The principal diagnosis is NOT what brought the patient to the hospital. Rather the root cause of the admission, AFTER STUDY. In this case the patient was admitted for abdominal pain, but after study, physician found pancreatitis which caused the abdominal pain.
Chronic Pancreatitis - after the physical examination indicated possible cholecystitis. Acute and chronic pancreatitits secondary