G47.33 – Obstructive sleep apnea (adult) (pediatric)

Is G47.33 billable?

Yes. G47.33 – Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a billable ICD-10 code, allowing providers to receive reimbursement for services related to the diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep conditions.

Accurate use of this diagnosis billing obstructive sleep apnea code is vital in claim submissions for sleep medicine, sleep studies, sleep apnea appliances, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.

Clinical information

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder characterized by stops or pauses in patient’s breathing and starts multiple times while sleeping. Compared to hypopneas, wherein the patient’s breathing is reduced, apneas are when the patient’s breathing stops altogether. 
• Obstructive sleep apnea is considered the most common type of sleep apnea. 
• There are three types of obstructive sleep apnea: severe obstructive sleep apnea, moderate obstructive sleep apnea, and mild obstructive sleep apnea. A patient’s OSA is categorized based on their apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) score. 
• The cause of obstructive sleep apnea, which also differentiates it from other kinds of sleep apnea, is the relaxation of throat muscles, resulting in narrowed airway to airway obstruction. 
• Common signs of obstructive sleep apnea include loud snoring, gasping or choking when waking up abruptly, headaches in the morning, excessively falling asleep during the day, and apnea episodes wherein others notice that the patient’s breathing stops followed by snoring. Patients should visit a doctor when they exhibit snoring, choking, or paused breathing symptoms. 
• Those at high risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea are people who smoke, are overweight/obese, postmenopausal, have hypertension or high blood pressure, have chronic lung disease, have chronic nasal congestion, and have a history of family members with OSA. 
• Most of the time, people with OSA aren’t aware that they must be diagnosed and treated for the disorder. If left untreated, patients may develop health problems such as increased blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, and daytime sleepiness. 
• For sleep apnea diagnosis, patients will be asked for their medical history and undergo physical examinations and polysomnography tests. 
• There are multiple treatment methods for obstructive sleep apnea. Among them are continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP). Others are sleeping or lifestyle changes such as losing weight, sleeping on one’s side, avoiding alcohol, and using sedatives. In extreme cases, patients may undergo surgery to treat their OSA.

Synonyms include

• Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
• Chronic respiratory failure
• Acute hypercapnic respiratory failure
• Hypercapnia
• Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea
• Adult obstructive sleep apnea 
• Severe pediatric obstructive sleep apnea

Related ICD-10 codes for sleep apnea and other sleep disorders

When coding obstructive sleep apnea, it's essential to differentiate it from other sleep disorders and document associated underlying conditions appropriately. Below are related ICD-10 codes to consider:

• G47.30 – Sleep apnea, unspecified
• G47.31 – Primary central sleep apnea
• G47.32 – High altitude periodic breathing
• G47.34 – Idiopathic sleep-related nonobstructive alveolar hypoventilation
• G47.35 – Congenital central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome
• G47.37 – Central sleep apnea in conditions classified elsewhere
• G47.39 – Other sleep apnea