Anesthesia Coding Alert
Look at Low-level E/M When Patient Expires Before Surgery
Question: A patient with a stab wound to the right chest wall (with hemopneumothorax) was taken to the OR and the CRNA assumed care (start time 0227). The planned procedure was a thoracotomy, but within five minutes the patient coded and expired a short time later (end time 0252). General anesthesia was never initiated, and the surgeon never made an incision. How should we report the CRNA’s work? New Mexico Subscriber Answer: Because the certified registered nurse anesthetist CRNA) did not administer anesthesia, you should bill the appropriate E/M level for the service involved. Check the CRNA’s documentation, but a low-level E/M code such as 99221 (Initial hospital care, per day, for the evaluation and management of a patient, which requires these 3 key components: a detailed or comprehensive history; a detailed or comprehensive examination; and medical decision making that is straightforward or of low complexity) is probably your best option. Remember that you will not bill time units since you won’t be reporting an anesthesia code.
Anesthesia Coding Alert
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Look at Low-level E/M When Patient Expires Before Surgery
Question: A patient with a stab wound to the right chest wall (with hemopneumothorax) was [...] - Reader Questions:
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Choose from R20 Family for Allodynia Diagnosis
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