Final answer:
The main term used to locate information for 'Mediastinotomy with exploration: cervical approach' in the CPT code book is 'Mediastinotomy'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main term to locate information in the Alphabetic Index for the scenario 'Mediastinotomy with exploration: cervical approach' is likely Mediastinotomy. This term directs you to the procedural coding within the range of 39000-39499 in the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code book. Procedures completed in the mediastinum are covered under these codes. When coding for a mediastinotomy with exploration through a cervical approach, the medical coder would refer to this main term in the index, and then confirm the appropriate code by reading the full description and guidelines provided in the tabular list of CPT codes.
ICD codes are commonly found in locations such as medical laboratory requests, where they specify the tests needed to confirm a diagnosis, and in the health-care management system, where they are used to ensure that all treatments and laboratory work performed are appropriate for the diagnosis. Furthermore, medical coders and billers utilize ICD codes for procedure documentation and insurance claims processing, respectively. Additionally, vital-records keepers and epidemiologists use ICD codes to record causes of death and calculate morbidity and mortality statistics.