You Be the Coder:
Choosing the Right Diagnosis Code for Sickle Cell Crisis
Published on Mon Jun 18, 2012
Question: A 35-year-old female presents to the ED with chest pain and a history of sickle cell disease. The ED physician ordered multiple labs including a CBC, CMP & PT/PTT/INR. The patient had a two-view chest x-ray that was read and interpreted by the ED physician. Narcotics and intravenous fluids were also administered to the patient during the course of care. A review of the medical record shows the following administration times:After successful pain control is achieved, the patient is discharged with a diagnosis of sickle cell disease with vaso-occlusive crisis and chest pain without evidence of acute chest syndrome. The ED physician documents a detailed history and examination. What should we report for both the physician's work and for the facility services?Answer: On the claim, you would report the following for the professional side:99284 (Emergency department visit for the evaluation and management of a patient, which requires these 3 [...]
