tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2013 Issue 5

You Be the Coder: Probe Deeply To Remove Thoracentesis Uncertainty

Question: How do I code the following situation? A thoracentesis tray was brought to the bedside of a patient, and the pleural effusion on the right hemothorax was percussed out, and landmarks identified. The local anesthesia in the area of the posterior ninth rib at the costovertebral angle involved approximately 3cc of 1 percent lidocaine without epinephrine. The physician then used the thoracentesis needle and catheter mechanism to enter the pleural space. The physician obtained auburn-colored fluid from the wound, which was clear and not bloody and then used intravenous tubing to drain approximately 400cc into the Vacutainer. Michigan...

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