Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Answer: You are correct to use 87081 (culture, presumptive, pathogenic organisms, screening only) when you screen for the presence of specific organisms. With this type of test, you would not isolate or identify any organism(s) other than those you are looking for. The results of your screening culture would be positive or negative for the organism(s) in question.

If you identify positive Group B Streptococcus cultures and perform an antibiotic sensitivity test, the code would depend on how the sensitivity testing is done. CPT 2001 changed the terminology from sensitivity studies to susceptibility studies. Still, the two most common testing methods for determining bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics are either the disk method or the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) method.

If you perform a disk method for the susceptibility study, code 87184 (susceptibility studies, antimicrobial agent; disk method, per plate [12 or fewer agents]). If you perform a MIC technique, use 87186 ( microdilution or agar dilution [MIC or breakpoint], each multi-antimicrobial, per plate).

There are other susceptibility testing procedures, but they are less commonly used. They include susceptibility by antibiotic agar dilution (87181) and macrobroth dilution (87188). There is also a new code in CPT 2001 for susceptibility studies by enzyme detection (87185). You must know which methodology is used to report the susceptibility studies appropriately.