Question

The physician performed a fiberoptic bronchoscopy with irrigation of the bronchus. In this scenario, what should the coder code?

A) bronchoscopy only
B) bronchoscopy and irrigation of bronchus
C) irrigation of bronchus only
D) unspecified code

Answer 1

In medical coding, both the fiberoptic bronchoscopy and the irrigation of the bronchus must be coded, therefore the answer is bronchoscopy and irrigation of bronchus.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a physician performs a fiberoptic bronchoscopy with irrigation of the bronchus, proper medical coding requires that both the bronchoscopy and the irrigation procedure be included in the coding. Thus, the correct answer is B) bronchoscopy and irrigation of bronchus. This encompasses the entire procedure the physician has performed, as each part of the procedure requires specific notation for accurate medical billing and record-keeping.