Pleurisy (511)

Question: A patient who suffers from type 1 complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in their right arm reports to the surgeon for a nerve block. The surgeon injects the cervicothoracic ganglion to block pain in the patient’s right arm. The surgeon [...]

Question: A patient who suffers from type 1 complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in their right arm reports to the surgeon for a nerve block. The surgeon injects the cervicothoracic ganglion to block pain in the patient’s right arm. The surgeon [...]

Choose different codes for atherosclerosis of bypass grafts vs. native arteries. If you find peripheral artery disease (PAD) and peripheral vascular disease (PVD) coding confusing, you’re not alone. Read on for some helpful insight on how best to maneuver this [...]

Question: A 62-year-old female is diagnosed with primary osteoarthritis of the right shoulder. The orthopedic surgeon performed a right total shoulder arthroplasty, replacing both the glenoid and the humeral head with a prosthetic joint. Prior to the surgery, the surgeon [...]

Learn the other terms used to denote CRPS I, II in the documentation. Proper reporting of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) requires attention to detail and knowledge of condition specifics. While not physically painful, choosing the correct codes to submit [...]

Question: A patient presented to an outpatient radiology clinic for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the right shoulder. The radiologist confirmed osteolysis in the impression. I’m new to radiology coding and am unfamiliar with osteolysis. How should I report [...]

Question: The PM physician treated a patient with shoulder pain in the emergency department (ED). After an evaluation and management (E/M) that included low-level medical decision making (MDM), the physician orders and interprets a two-view shoulder X-ray. Final diagnosis was right [...]

Question: Encounter notes indicate that the physician treated a patient with “blepharoconjunctivitis R eye.” How is blepharoconjunctivitis different from conjunctivitis, and how do I choose a diagnosis code for this condition? New York Subscriber Answer: According to the University of [...]

Question: A patient, who is currently receiving treatment for right breast cancer, visited our radiology practice for bilateral diagnostic digital breast tomosynthesis and bilateral diagnostic mammography. We billed G0279-TC and 77066-TC with a C50.911 diagnosis code. The G code was paid, [...]

Hint: You’ll have new options for reporting severity and agitation. The ICD-10-CM codes going into effect Oct. 1, 2022, will provide many more options for documenting various forms of dementia. In fact, there are approximately 70 new codes addressing dementia! [...]