Anesthesia Coding Alert

Reader Question:

IV Access

Question: What supporting diagnosis should be used for IV access by an anesthesiologist?

Maryland Subscriber
 
Answer: There are many different possibilities for diagnosis. Part of your determination should be based on what your carrier prefers. One option that is often used for a primary diagnosis is 459.81 (venous [peripheral] insufficiency, unspecified). A secondary diagnosis could be related to many underlying problems such as leukemia (204.0X), acute myelogenous (205.0X) or any malignancy or metastatic disease process. Multiple trauma (959.8) or multiple injuries (869.0) would also be appropriate. Check with your carrier for a list of acceptable codes.

Other Articles in this issue of

Anesthesia Coding Alert

View All