Medical Coding Simplified

To simplify documenting and coding skin procedures, I’ve developed  an encounter form  that highlights the most common scenarios. While using the form, it’s important to keep the following in mind: ·          The CPT codes for laceration, excision and shaving are not on the form because of space limitations. They can be found in the current CPT manual. ·          Excision, shave, biopsy and destruction of warts are listed in order of declining reimbursement. So if you code for shaving when you actually excised the lesion, or if you code for biopsy when you completely excised the lesion, you are penalizing yourself by not using the correct terminology. The form can look a bit daunting at first, but the following reminders should help you put it to good use: Laceration repair.  Be sure to document the laceration’s size, location and the wound closure. Measure the length of th...

Quiz created by Vijayarani Sivakumar with GoConqr

In the past century or so, humans have fought—and won—their fair share of battles with disease. Vaccines defeated smallpox. Antibiotics conquered scarlet fever. And insecticide scaled back mosquito-borne illnesses. Despite these successes, some diseases appear to be making a comeback. Outbreaks of measles and mumps have made more than a few headlines of late, and once-lost pathogens like cholera are creeping back into medical histories. While the reasons behind the rise and fall of diseases are often complex and difficult to pin down, here are a few key reasons behind some of these resurgences. Vaccine Refusal One of the greatest public health achievements in history, vaccines are credited for the massive decline of potentially dangerous diseases like measles and polio. Although the majority of families embrace vaccination, a growing number appear to be delaying or forgoing vaccines altogether due to a misunderstanding of the safety, effectiveness, and necessity of vaccina...

Quiz created by Vijayarani Sivakumar with GoConqr

With the recent outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala, South India, fear is spreading throughout Kerala regarding this infectious fever. Everyone went into panic mode when Nipah was confirmed in the patient recently. What stuck me was the long wait for the test to be confirmed by Pune National Institute of Virology. When delving deep, I found that BSL (biosafety level) 3 or 4 classified labs only were allowed to handle such dangerous pathogens. Pune Lab is classified as BSL -4. This was news to me. The tests done to confirm the infection is ELISA and RT-PCR using bodily fluids and blood. Nipah virus comes under the category of virus which causes hemorrhagic fevers. In ICD-10-CM the code for Nipah is A98.8 – (other specified viral hemorrhagic fevers). Also there is no vaccine for Nipah infection yet. This is a zoonotic virus transmitted from (animals to humans) and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between humans. Symptoms range from asymptomatic inf...

The  spleen  is an organ located in the upper left abdomen, and is roughly the size of a clenched fist. In the adult, the spleen functions mainly as a blood filter, removing old red blood cells. It also plays a role in both cell-mediated and humoral immune responses. The spleen in located in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen, under cover of the diaphragm and  the ribcage – and therefore cannot normally be palpated on clinical examination (except when enlarged). It is an intraperitoneal organ, entirely surrounded by peritoneum (except at the splenic hilum). The spleen is connected to the stomach and kidney by parts of the greater omentum – a double fold of peritoneum that originates from the stomach: The spleen has a slightly  oval  shape. It is covered by a weak capsule that protects the organ whilst allowing it to expand in size. The outer surface of the spleen can be anatomically divided into two: ·      ...