Pulmonology Coding Alert

Question: Our clinic admits a 90-year-old male Medicare patient with pulmonary infiltrate (pneumonitis). The next day the doctor does a bronchoscopy. Later that night, the doctor must see the patient again for dyspnea, hypoxemia and severe coughing, after the patient vomits and possibly aspirates. The doctor is at the patients bedside one hour while he is critical. During that time, the doctor watches to see if the patient will improve with nebs, lasix or nitrates; looks at the chest x-ray; and discusses the patient with the respiratory therapist. After an hour, it looks as if hes doing better, so the doctor decides not to send him to the ICU. The doctor determines that the nausea wasnt related to bronchitis or vomiting. How do I code this treatment?

New York Subscriber


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