Question

Review the case and assign the appropriate anesthesia code(s) and physical status moders Make sure you assign qualifying circumstance code(s) where appropriate. All anesthesia services were provided by the anesthesiologist, which means that modifier AA is added to each anesthesia code Sur cases require assignment of CPT surgery codes and appropriate modifiers), per chapter content about anesthesia coding guidelines

A nine-month-old healthy patient underwent emergency tracheostomy under general anesthesia after having sustained injuries in a motor vehicle accident. the child lost consciousness for 60 minutes after the accident and required cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Answer 1

The case involves coding for anesthesia in a complex pediatric emergency surgery, which requires a solid understanding of anesthesia's impact on breathing muscles and the necessary safety protocols.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question pertains to the appropriate assignment of anesthesia coding for a surgical case involving general anesthesia in a nine-month-old patient. Given that this was an emergency tracheostomy due to injuries sustained from a motor vehicle accident, and the child also required cardiopulmonary resuscitation after losing consciousness, specific codes related to anesthesia need to be used.

General anesthesia impacts the muscles necessary for breathing and the movement of the tongue. To prevent complications such as airway obstruction, endotracheal intubation is performed. This establishes a secure airway for the patient allowing the anesthesiologist to control respiration during surgery.

Before surgery, a time out is conducted to ensure patient safety by confirming the patient's identity, surgical site and procedure, and that all team members are informed about the specifics related to the patient, such as allergies and airway risks. Surgical safety protocols such as these are vital for the successful outcome of the procedure.