dballard2004
True Blue
I need help coding this encounter, please.
The patient came into the clinic with an infected thumb and was diagnosed with paronychia. The patient had been doing something in his garage over the weekend and a small foreign body entered the tip of the thumb which caused the paronychia. The provider did a digital nerve block with 1% lidocaine and then used a bovie to burn a hole in the nail bed to relieve the pressure and allow the infected material to come out. He then did a wound culture, explored the wound, and then removed the small foreign body.
How would this be coded, please? Is there a code for the bovie, or is this inclusive? I know the nerve block would be inclusive to the procedure per the surgical package, but how would you code the actual procedure?
Thanks.
The patient came into the clinic with an infected thumb and was diagnosed with paronychia. The patient had been doing something in his garage over the weekend and a small foreign body entered the tip of the thumb which caused the paronychia. The provider did a digital nerve block with 1% lidocaine and then used a bovie to burn a hole in the nail bed to relieve the pressure and allow the infected material to come out. He then did a wound culture, explored the wound, and then removed the small foreign body.
How would this be coded, please? Is there a code for the bovie, or is this inclusive? I know the nerve block would be inclusive to the procedure per the surgical package, but how would you code the actual procedure?
Thanks.