ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Seconds count with airway tube insertions, but take a few minutes to learn these important tips.A frequent presenting problem in the emergency department is a patient having trouble breathing due to pulmonary disease, injury, or swelling of the throat tissues. You would typically report these encounters as high level ED visits or critical care because of the nature of the presenting problem, but you may also be able to report a procedure code if it is properly documented. Read on for advice on appropriately documenting to support your airway services procedure coding.1. Determine Reason for Airway"The most common airway related procedure in the ED setting is endotracheal intubation where the patient has a compromised airway that needs stabilization." says Michael Granovsky, MD, CPC, FACEP, President of LogixHealth, an emergency medicine coding and billing company in Bedford, Massachusetts.Sample scenario: You should look for documentation describing tube placement similar to the following [...]