Question

An 18-month-old patient is seen in the ED unable to breathe due to a toy he swallowed which had lodged in his throat. Soon brain death will occur if an airway is not established immediately. The ED provider performs an emergency transtracheal tracheostomy. What CPT® and ICD-10-CM codes are reported? A) CPT®: 31622, ICD-10-CM: T18.4 B) CPT®: 31603, ICD-10-CM: T17.9 C) CPT®: 31770, ICD-10-CM: T17.1 D) CPT®: 31502, ICD-10-CM: T18.9

Answer 1

For an emergency transtracheal tracheostomy performed on an 18-month-old due to a swallowed toy, the correct codes are CPT: 31603 and ICD-10-CM: T17.9, which corresponds to emergency tracheostomy and unspecified obstruction of the respiratory tract, respectively.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct CPT and ICD-10-CM codes for an 18-month-old patient having an emergency transtracheal tracheostomy due to airway obstruction by a swallowed toy are CPT: 31603, which is the code for transtracheal emergency tracheostomy, and ICD-10-CM: T17.9, which denotes a foreign body causing obstruction of the respiratory tract, unspecified part. Option B is the correct answer. It is important to accurately code such emergency procedures to ensure proper documentation and billing for the lifesaving care provided. The Heimlich maneuver may be an initial response to an airway obstruction, but in severe cases where the object has become lodged in the trachea, a more invasive procedure such as emergency tracheostomy is required. Unlike endotracheal intubation, a tracheostomy involves creating an opening directly in the trachea to bypass the obstruction.

Answer 2

The correct CPT and ICD-10-CM codes for an emergency transtracheal tracheostomy performed on a patient due to a foreign body lodged in the throat are 31603 and T17.9 respectively.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the given scenario, an emergency transtracheal tracheostomy is performed on an 18-month-old patient who is unable to breathe due to a lodged toy in his throat. The appropriate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code for this procedure is 31603, representing the performance of a transtracheal tracheostomy. The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code that reflects the patient's diagnosis is T17.9, indicating a foreign body in the respiratory tract, part unspecified. Therefore, the correct option is B) CPT®: 31603, ICD-10-CM: T17.9.

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