Wiki GU Studies

[michaelrcpc]

What code(s) should be reported when an x-ray is taken of the abdomen and/or pelvis, when organs of the genitourinary system have been filled with radiopaque contrast in a retrograde fashion by the ER doctor, but no fluoroscopy is used to evaluate the anatomy?

 

[dpeoples]

What code(s) should be reported when an x-ray is taken of the abdomen and/or pelvis, when organs of the genitourinary system have been filled with radiopaque contrast in a retrograde fashion by the ER doctor, but no fluoroscopy is used to evaluate the anatomy?

This scenario implies two different/distinct encounters:
1) for an injection of contrast into the genitourinary system (which also implies access to the GU system) by an ER doc. It is unlikely that this injection would not be monitored by fluoro and or films. Codes for this could include 50390 or 50392/74420 or 74425 and/or others from this section of the CPT.

2) xrays taken of the abdomen and/or pelvis, apparently separate from the GU procedure, read by a different doc (radiologist perhaps). I would look at the section for the abdomen in the 74000 series of the CPT. I would not choose from the 744-- codes because these require an injection.

unless.....

If by chance the radiologist is reading a Urography after-the-fact, and the injection was performed by the ER doc without an interpretation, then perhaps the radiologist would get the GU code only.

HTH