Pulmonology Coding Alert

Question: Which ICD-9 code should we report for the purified protein derivative (PPD) tuberculosis (TB) test? Is it V03.2?

Vermont Subscriber

Answer: You should report V74.1 (Special screening examination for bacterial and spirochetal diseases; pulmonary tuberculosis) with 86580 (Skin test; tuberculosis, intradermal) for pulmonary tuberculosis.
 
When a nurse or other individual in your office administers a PPD TB test, she gives an inoculation screening test, not a vaccination, so you should link the test code to the special screening V code instead of to the vaccination code.
 
Red flag: You'll probably never use V03.2 (Need for prophylactic vaccination and inoculation against bacterial diseases; tuberculosis [BCG]). The inoculation isn't very effective and interferes with skin test screening. People who receive a TB vaccination can give a false-positive when screened for the disease.