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What is considered the main term in ICD-9-CM when looking up a disease?

  1. Anatomic terms like kidney or shoulder

  2. Terms related to symptoms

  3. Specific treatment procedures

  4. The patient's illness or disease

The correct answer is: The patient's illness or disease

In ICD-9-CM, the main term refers to the name of the patient's illness or disease. Anatomic terms like kidney or shoulder may be used as subterms to further specify the location or type of disease, but they are not considered the main term. Terms related to symptoms and specific treatment procedures are not used as the main term in ICD-9-CM. It is important to correctly identify the main term in order to accurately code and classify a disease in this system.