by Melanie Endicott
Saint Patrick’s Day is both a cultural and religious celebration that includes displays of the color green, eating and drinking, and parades. One of the greatest places to celebrate this day, outside of Ireland, is the city of Chicago, where the people go all out for Saint Patrick’s Day festivities. Let’s look at some of the highlights…
Get Your Corned Beef and Cabbage
Many celebrate this iconic day by indulging in traditional food, such as corned beef and cabbage. Restaurants and vendors throughout the city will be offering up this seasonal special. Revelers looking partake of this tradition might want to make sure they don’t overindulge, taking them out of commission for other festivities:
- K30, Functional dyspepsia (Indigestion)
- K21.9, Gastro-esophageal reflux disease without esophagitis
- A02.0, Salmonella enteritis
Dyeing the River Green
The Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations in Chicago are never complete without the annual dyeing of the Chicago River green. Tourists come from all over the world to witness this unique event. Onlookers walking along the beautiful waterways may want a close up look of the river, but should make sure they have steady footing so as not to risk falling into this chilly body of water (W16.111A, Fall into natural body of water striking water surface causing drowning and submersion, initial encounter) and possibly getting hypothermia (T68.XXXA, Hypothermia, initial encounter). The weather can be unpredictable in Chicago, so it’s best for spectators to bundle up to protect fingers, toes, and noses (T33.90XA, Superficial frostbite of unspecified sites, initial encounter).
99 Bottles of Green Beer on the Wall
Pubs in neighborhoods throughout the city will be offering customers all varieties of beer tinged green to celebrate this day. But getting carried away with the imbibing of this festive liquid could result in some unintended consequences:
- F10.129, Alcohol abuse with intoxication, unspecified
- R11.2, Nausea with vomiting, unspecified
- R51, Headache
Whatever you choose to do to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day this year, try to avoid the above calamities while still having fun. Don’t forget to wear green or you could get pinched (Y08.89XA, Assault by other means, initial encounter)!
Melanie Endicott, MBA/HCM, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, FAHIMA, is senior director of HIM practice excellence, coding and CDI products development at AHIMA. She has over 15 years experience in HIM and coding, with her most recent focus being in ICD-10-CM/PCS, and has presented numerous times at the regional, state, and national levels on HIM and coding topics. She was previously a director of HIM practice excellence, focusing on coding products, resources, and education, at AHIMA. Melanie is an AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer and an ICD-10 Ambassador.