Question

A 5 year-old is brought to the Emergency Department by ambulance, He had been found floating in a pool for an unknown amount of time. EMS started CPR which was continued by the ED provider along with endotracheal intubation and placement of a CVC. The ER provider spent 1 hour with the critically ill patient. The ED provider makes a notation the 1 hour does not include the time for the other separate billable services. What CPT?? codes are reported?

Answer 1

CPT is a code EMS use to communicate. Like Police use the phonetic alphabet, etc. Upon my EMS textbooks and some sites:

The boy was treated as a code ALS2 (Advanced Life Support- level 2). The boy had a CVC (Central Venous Catheter/ line).
It was also mentioned that the CPR was performed, artificial ventillation and intubation. So that's another thing as to why he would be code ALS2.

Did he go to a Trauma Center? This could change some of the code and response.

The boy is 5 years old, and thus does not qualify for Medicaid. If he had a specific diagnosis rendering specific medical intervention and care.

Hope this helped!