# Fecal occult blood testing 82270/82272/82274



## amexnikki23 (Sep 10, 2015)

Hi! Our practice sends patients home with a colorectal test kit that includes slides/card where they return their "samples" to the office for testing for the presence of blood. 

In the CPT book, there are 3 codes in which to choose from: 82270 (which is clear that it's for screening purposes), 82272 (which is clear that it's for diagnostic purposes), and then this 82274 code which is unclear to me what it actually is. The description of 82274 states "by fecal hemoglobin" whereas 82270/82272 states "by peroxidase activity."

Can anyone explain to me in layman's/coder's terms the difference between "by fecal hemoglobin" and "by peroxidase activity" and also, whether the 82274 can be used for both screening AND diagnostic? Any help is appreciated.


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