Cardioversions and defibrillations they sound similar, and without crystal clear, specific physician
documentation, often coders have a hard time telling which of these services has been performed in the
emergency department. Thats why its a good idea to learn more about these procedures so you can
code them properly, and thus get your facility and providers the payment they deserve.
The Coding Institute LLC, 2222 Sedwick Road, Durham, NC 27713, Eenterprise Contact: Sam Nair, Direct: 704 303 8150,
shyamn@codinginstitute.com
Here are some documentation clues that will help you understand whether your physician performed
defibrillation, not cardioversion:
The physician delivers the shock at any point in the cardiac cycle
The physician gives no sedation because the patient is unconscious
A medical team gives CPR (92590)
Speaking of quick clues, CPR is a great way to quickly tell whether defibrillation was the procedure of
choice. Did the medical team give CPR immediately before shocks were given? If CPR was ongoing, then
defibrillation was probably the procedure given. Its important to note that no CPT code exists to
report defibrillation as a procedure performed in isolation.
The Coding Institute LLC, 2222 Sedwick Road, Durham, NC 27713, Eenterprise Contact: Sam Nair, Direct: 704 303 8150,
shyamn@codinginstitute.com
Contact Us:
Name: Sam Nair
Title: Associate Director Enterprise Practice
Email: shyamn@codinginstitute.com
Direct: 704 303 8150
The Coding Institute LLC, 2222 Sedwick Road, Durham, NC 27713, Eenterprise Contact: Sam Nair, Direct: 704 303 8150,
shyamn@codinginstitute.com