Wiki Picc

[hbarney1]

So a patient comes in to get blood drawn and they are unable to find a vein so they call a PICC nurse and she uses the ultrasound to find a vein. In this case would you code for the PICC line and if so what CPT/HCPCS code would I code? If they are using a machine to help find a vein I believe it should be coded but not sure what CPT/HCPCS code would work?

 

[thomas7331]

A PICC line, by definition, is a central catheter which must go into the central venous structure, e.g. at least into the subclavian vein, so this code would not be appropriate for use for a peripheral venous access.

But there are codes appropriate for this situation when performed by a physician, see 36400/36405/36406/36410 for the IV placement and 76937 for the US. If done by a nurse within their scope of practice, meeting 'incident to' requirements and documented appropriately to meet the CPT definitions, it may be possible to bill these codes for this service.