Anesthesia Coding Alert

Remember one service you can't report with PA catheters.If your anesthesiologist participates in a cardiac surgery case, chances are he uses a pulmonary artery (or PA) catheter during the procedure. PA catheters make the list of monitoring devices you can often code separately from other services, so keep these two tips in mind for successful claims.Zero In On the Correct CodeYour physician can choose between several types of PA catheters. Some PA catheters allow the anesthesiologist to temporarily pace the heart, which might be necessary for patients with underlying cardiac rhythm disturbances. You might report diagnoses such as 426. x (Conduction disorders), 427.x (Cardiac dysrhythmias), or 428.x (Heart failure) in that situation. Others allow the physician to continually monitor cardiac output and/or monitor mixed venous oxygen saturation.Coding key: No matter which PA catheter the anesthesiologist chooses, he places them all the same way and CPT covers all types with a [...]