Pulmonology Coding Alert
Tracheostomy
Question: A patient arrives in the emergency room with a severe chemical burn to the throat, and breathing quickly becomes impossible. The pulmonologist performs a tracheostomy. How should I code this? And how does this coding compare to that when the tracheostomy was planned because of a tumor?
Wisconsin Subscriber
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer.
For a planned procedure, use 31600 (tracheostomy, planned [separate procedure]) for the basic tracheostomy. If the patient is younger than 2 years of age, code it as a 31601 ( under 2 years).
Emergencies documented in the patient record call for either 31603 (tracheostomy, emergency procedure; transtracheal) or 31605 ( cricothyroid membrane) depending on the placement of the incision. When the record shows transtracheal or through the trachea, use 31603. If a review of the documentation shows the incision to be through the cricothyroid membrane, code as 31605.
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Tracheostomy
Question: A patient arrives in the emergency room with a severe chemical burn to the [...]
