Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Question: The lab received corneal scrapping specimen from a patient with infected keratitis, and performed a gram stain plus aerobic and anaerobic culture. We isolated and identified Pseudomonas aeruginosa from the aerobic culture, and performed antibiotic susceptibility testing using the disk method. What are the correct codes for this scenario?

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Answer: Report the Gram stain on the scraping or swab as 87205 (Smear, primary source with interpretation; Gram or Giemsa stain for bacteria, fungi, or cell types).

You should also report the procedure code for each culture, even though the lab identifies an isolate from only the aerobic culture. The correct codes are as follows:

• 87070 (Culture, bacterial; any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates)
• 87075 (Culture, bacterial; any source, except blood, anaerobic with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates)

List the antibiotic susceptibility testing as 87184 (Susceptibility studies, antimicrobial agent; disk method, per plate (12 or fewer agents)).