Peak Flow Meter
S8110 Peak expiratory flow rate (physician services)
S8096 Portable peak flow meter (supply)
94010 is not peak flow, it's spirometry, which are different.
94010
Spirometry, including graphic record, total and timed vital capacity, expiratory flow rate measurement(s), with or without maximal voluntary ventilation
AMA Lay Description: A spirometer in a pulmonary lab is used to measure functions of the lungs including the amount of air contained in the lungs, the rate of expiration, and the volume of air a patient respires. The physician interprets the results of the spirometry and a graphic record is obtained.
What's the difference?
Spirometry devices record the whole of the forced expiratory volume in the first second from a maximum inspiration (FVC) maneuver, Expiratory Vital Capacity (EVC), Inspiratory Vital Capacity (IVC), against time, allowing the dynamics of the resulting time/volume curve to be examined.
Peak Expiratory Flow records the greatest flow that can be sustained for 10 milliseconds on forced expiration starting from full inflation of the lungs. In addition, PEF is not a sensitive measure for detecting the small treatment changes typical of COPD. Peak flow meters measure the rate at which a patient can exhale. Serial peak flow measurements are therefore useful in the management of asthma where there's good correlation between PEF and FEV1 and where the importance of distinguishing diurnal variability as a reliable defining characteristic in asthma is well established.
Using the spirometry code is not in my opinion acceptable to code for Peak Flow. If it's a medicare patient, you'll have to use unlisted lung.
Hope that helps.
Maria Shinn Bouck, CPC Director Cohen Healthcare Consulting LTD
