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Anesthesia Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Supporting Diagnosis: IV Access

Published on Sat Sep 01, 2001

Question: What supporting diagnosis should be used for IV access by an anesthesiologist?

Florida Subscriber  
Answer: There are many different possibilities for diagnosis. Part of your determination should be based on what your carrier prefers. One option that is often used for a primary diagnosis is 459.81 (venous [peripheral] insufficiency, unspecified). A secondary diagnosis could be related to many underlying problems such as leukemia (204.0X), acute myelogenous (205.0X) or any malignancy or metastatic disease process. Multiple trauma (959.8) or multiple injuries (869.0) would also be appropriate. Check with your carrier for a list of acceptable codes.
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