Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Question: The lab receives a vaginal fluid specimen for an “amines” test. Is this the same as a wet mount?

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Answer: No, the amines test is not a wet mount, although a physician might request the tests in similar clinical circumstances.

The correct code for an amines test on vaginal fluid is 82120 (Amines, vaginal fluid, qualitative). This test detects the presence of volatile amines greater than a certain threshold, which can be an indicator of a vaginal infection.

Physicians may more commonly order a wet mount, which involves taking a vaginal swab and mixing it with salt solution on a microscope slide to check for bacteria, yeast cells, or trichomonads — organisms that could be responsible for a vaginal infection. For a wet mount, you should report 87210 (Smear, primary source with interpretation; wet mount for infectious agents [e.g., saline, India ink, KOH preps]).