AUG 15, 2022
Chemical Burn Seen and Admitted Same Day
Our provider took a 5-year-old patient to an outpatient facility to irrigate the eye following chemical burn. The child was put under anesthesia in the operating room (OR) and the eye was washed with saline. The patient was subsequently admitted for observation by the hospitalist. How do we code the OR portion?
Answer: From the
CPT Professional Edition: When the patient is admitted to hospital in course of encounter at another site of service, all evaluation and management services provided by that physician in conjunction with admission are considered part of the initial hospital care when performed on the same date as the admission. Choose from the family 99221-99223. Do not report any additional E/M from office or other outpatient facility on the same day.
Remember inpatient codes still follow 1997 E/M guidelines through the end of 2022.