AHA Coding Clinic® for HCPCS - 2018 Issue 2; Ask the Editor

CPT Code 49424

A patient is seen in radiology for contrast injection and evaluation of an existing drain currently placed in the soft tissues of the coccygeal bed for an abscess/seroma. During this time the existing catheter was also repositioned. Our coders would like to assign CPT code 49424, Contrast injection for assessment of abscess or cyst via previously placed drainage catheter or tube, but unsure if this code is assigned to a specific site although a specific site is not specified in the code descriptor. However, a few of the coders feel that because CPT code 49424 is listed in the digestive system section of the CPT codebook it would only be assigned for drainage in the intra-abdominal/peritoneal area. Would it be more appropriate to assign an unlisted code for this procedure or would CPT code 49424 be an acceptable code assignment in this case? ...

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