Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: How should I code for Bier blocks? What are some of the more common diagnoses associated with these procedures?

Colorado Subscriber

Answer: Bier blocks are frequently used for surgeries of short duration (like setting a broken wrist), but they also have applications in chronic pain management. For example, this type of block is often used with ganglion excision (e.g., 25111, Excision of ganglion, wrist [dorsal or volar]; primary). A corresponding diagnosis code is 727.43 (Ganglion, unspecified).

In pain management, the appropriate CPT code used to describe the Bier block is 01995 (Regional intravenous administration of local anesthetic agent or other medication [upper or lower extremity]). If the block is used for simple surgical procedures rather than pain management, then use 90784 (Therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic injection [specify material injected]; intravenous).