Q: We’re having a lot of discussions with physicians right now and need to get some clarity on acute cor pulmonale versus chronic. Do you have any insight on that differentiation between the two with right-sided heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), shortness of breath, and edema?
Our coding experts answer your questions about how to determine the correct units for drugs, billing for fluoroscopy, therapy caps under OPPS, and payment for critical care and separately reported services
Q: A patient is admitted with a high white blood count, tachycardia, tachypnea, and chills. The blood culture shows positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The attending physician documents MRSA sepsis in the progress notes. Antibiotics are changed based on the blood culture and the patient is treated with appropriate antibiotics. Due to poor vascular access, a central venous catheter (CVC) is inserted and antibiotics are infused through this access. The patient responded slowly to treatment and CVC access becomes red and inflamed. The catheter is removed and cultured. The physician documents this to be an infection due to MRSA. What’s the diagnosis code for this?
