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Radiology Coding Alert

Part 1:

Solve Your Lung Scan Coding Woes With Real-World Term Tips

Published on Sat May 09, 2009

Breathe easy: We'll simplify choosing between 78587 and 78594. Reporting pulmonary perfusion and ventilation studies might make you long for a secret decoder ring. You won't find terms such as "MAA" and "DTPA" in the code descriptors, but these very terms may be the ones that point you to the proper CPT code for your claim. Take the following terminology lessons to heart, and you'll be fluent in lung scan language in no time. Identify Perfusion Using Injection-Specific Terms The first code in the nuclear medicine "Respiratory System" section is 78580 (Pulmonary perfusion imaging, particulate). This is the only code in the section specific to perfusion alone. Perfusion essentially tells the physician if there are any blood flow restrictions in the lungs, confirms Stacy Gregory, CPC, CCC, RCC, of Gregory Medical Consulting Services in Tacoma, Wash. For perfusion, the provider injects protein particles tagged with a radioactive material that travel [...]
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