Radiology Coding Alert

Watch for reportable imaging beyond catheter's termination point. To succeed at interventional coding, you have to be on high alert to catch every little detail. Whether the radiologist works on the patient's right or left side can make all the difference in your code choice -- and could put an extra $105 in your practice's pocket. Work your way through the sample scenario below to learn why. Scenario: Using femoral access and common carotid placement, the radiologist images the right common carotid and right internal carotid. The radiologist documents normal anatomy and states there are no abnormalities in the common carotid, but she finds stenosis in the internal carotid. The scenario raises several questions: Which diagnosis code should you use? How should you code catheter placement? Should you report imaging for both the common carotid and internal carotid arteries? Search for 'Cerebral Infarction' in Documentation Depending on the documentation, the appropriate [...]