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Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Coding Tips:

Nail Your Coding For H. Pylori Testing With This Guidance

Published on Sun May 13, 2012

Check method of choice to guide your coding. Like in any other gastroenterology practice, it is fairly common that your gastroenterologist might ask for Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) testing especially in patients suspected of having gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers or carrying a high risk of cancers of the digestive tract. Read our advice to update yourself about the various coding choices that you can report from when your gastroenterologist undertakes a test for H.pylori. Confirm Material Used for Reporting Breath Tests Your gastroenterologist might rely on a urea breath test (UBT) to test for the presence of H. pylori. "If an infection is present then the bacterium's urease enzyme breaks down urea in the stomach releasing carbon dioxide. Urea provided to the patient is either labeled with carbon-13 (a non-radioactive, stable form) or with carbon-14 (a low level radioactive form)," says Michael Weinstein, MD, Gastroenterologist at Capital Digestive Care in Washington, [...]
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