Pediatric Coding Alert

Yes, you can sometimes look past newborn critical care codes. Coding for newborn care in the hospital is usually fairly straightforward, whether the baby is considered a normal newborn or one who needs special care. Confusion can arise, however, if the baby takes a turn for the worse and needs to be transferred to a tertiary care center. When you find yourself in that situation, keep three important points in mind to help guide your choices. Scenario: A newborn is initially considered normal, but develops respiratory distress syndrome (RDS, 769). The infant develops respiratory failure on the second day and requires nasal CPAP, progressing to a  ventilator. The infant’s condition deteriorates and your physician makes arrangements to transfer the infant to a children’s hospital with a neonatal tertiary intensive care unit on the third day. The baby is stabilized and transported. Keep Critical Care Codes to Full Day Everything is [...]