This patient was discharged with a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) with infarct and hemiplegia of dominant side. What DRG would this be assigned?

• A. DRG 65
• B. DRG 66
• C. DRG 67
• D. DRG 68

Answer: (A)

DRG assignment hinges on the principal diagnosis and the presence or absence of major complications or comorbidities, as well as any significant procedures. A cerebrovascular accident with infarct and a hemiplegia on the dominant side describes a stroke with neurologic deficit, but without additional major complications or high-severity procedures. In this grouping, it fits the cerebrovascular disorder DRG category for a non-severe stroke, which corresponds to DRG 65 in this set. The other DRGs (66–68) are used when there are greater severity factors, such as major complications or comorbidities or major procedures, which is why they are not the best fit for this scenario.