tci E/M Coding Alert - 2017 Issue 12

Reader Question: Look to Critical Care Codes for this Scenario

Question: The patient reported to the emergency department (ED) in respiratory distress. He is a three-packs-a-day smoker with a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The physician administered breathing treatments and monitored the patient's oxygen saturation and blood gases. During the entire encounter, the physician was either at the patient's bedside or at the nurse's station monitoring the patient for respiratory or cardiac arrest. The total encounter time was 104 minutes. How should I code for this situation? Ohio Subscriber Answer: Since the notes indicate the physician spent all 104 documented minutes of the encounter exclusively stabilizing this...

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