Question

An 82-year-old presents to the ER with episodes of shortness of breath when supine intermittently for the last few weeks. States feels OK until he lies down and tries to sleep. Denies chest pain, lower extremity swelling but has had a dry cough for several days. Past history of atrial fib and COPD. Denies feeling of lightheadedness. Exam: VS, lungs, heart, abdomen, extremities. EKG: normal sinus rhythm. CXR: signs of COPD present. Multiple cloudings on x-ray. Diagnosis: exacerbation of COPD.

A. 99221
B. 99282
C. 99283
D. 99285

Answer 1

The diagnosis for this patient is exacerbation of COPD. The appropriate code for the services provided would be 99285.

Step-by-step explanation:

The diagnosis for this patient is exacerbation of COPD. COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a lung disease characterized by chronic poor airflow. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough that produces phlegm. In this patient, the exacerbation of COPD is causing episodes of shortness of breath when supine, which is relieved when the patient is in an upright position. This is a common symptom of exacerbation of COPD.

In terms of coding, for the services provided in the ER for an exacerbation of COPD, the appropriate code would be 99285. This code represents a high level of emergency department visit complexity and is appropriate for the evaluation and management of a patient with an exacerbation of a chronic condition.