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Pediatric Coding Alert

Remember 3 Points for 'Normal' to 'Critical' Progression of Care

Published on Fri Dec 28, 2012

Yes, you can sometimes look past newborn critical care codes. Coding for newborn care in the hospital is usually fairly straightforward, whether the baby is considered a normal newborn or one who needs special care. Confusion can arise, however, if the baby takes a turn for the worse and needs to be transferred to a tertiary care center. When you find yourself in that situation, keep three important points in mind to help guide your choices. Scenario: A newborn is initially considered normal, but develops respiratory distress syndrome (RDS, 769). The infant develops respiratory failure on the second day and requires nasal CPAP, progressing to a  ventilator. The infant’s condition deteriorates and your physician makes arrangements to transfer the infant to a children’s hospital with a neonatal tertiary intensive care unit on the third day. The baby is stabilized and transported. Keep Critical Care Codes to Full Day Everything is [...]
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