After dislocating her left wrist, a patient needs to be placed under anesthesia
so the ER doctor can set it back in place. She was not surgically cut open.
Which anesthesia code would be used?
Correct answer: 01820
In the index of the CPT book, you will look up anesthesia, wrist, which gives you a
code and code range: 00400 and 01810-01860. Turning to the Anesthesia section,
where these codes are located, you will see that code 00400 is for anesthesia for
procedures on the integumentary system on the extremities. This surgery is not for the
integumentary system, so this code can be eliminated. Turning to the code range, you
will see that code 01820 is for any closed procedure of the radius, ulna, wrist, or hand
bones. The question states that the wrist set is a closed procedure, so this would be
the correct answer to the question.
An aspiration image-guided procedure on the cervical spinal cord is
performed percutaneously. Choose the correct anesthesia code to coincide
with this procedure.
Correct answer: 01937
In the index of the CPT book, you will look up anesthesia, radiological procedures,
spine and spinal cord, percutaneous image guided, which gives you a range of codes:
01937-01942. Turning to the Anesthesia section, where these codes are located, you
will see that codes 01939-01940 are for anesthesia for percutaneous image-guided
destruction procedures by neurolytic agent on the spine/spinal cord, with 01939 being
for the cervical/thoracic spine, and 01940 being for the lumbar/sacral spine. For codes
01937-01938, they are for anesthesia for percutaneous image-guided injection,
drainage or aspiration procedures on the spine/spinal cord, with 01937 being for the
cervical/thoracic spine, and 01938 being for the lumbar/sacral spine. The question is
asking for an aspiration image-guided procedure on the cervical spinal cord, which
code 01937 answers properly. This would be the correct answer.
