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ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Reader Question:

Include Anesthesia in Multiple Abscess Drainage

Published on Sat Sep 20, 2003

Question: Our ED physician documented two incision and drainage procedures on the patient's right axilla area with field block. What is field block, and should I include it in the incision and drainage code?
       
Illinois Subscriber Answer: "Field block" refers to localized anesthesia - the "field" is the affected area. In most cases, you'd need to decide whether the repairs were simple or complicated, but because you're considering multiple procedures, you're freed from that distinction. Regardless of the degree of difficulty, report code 10061 (Incision and drainage of abscess; complicated or multiple) because the physician performed more than one procedure. Unlike 10060* (... simple or single), 10061 is not a starred code, so the "field block" - the anesthesia on the axilla - is included in the code for the procedure.
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