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A 3-day-old died in her sleep. The pediatrician determined this was the result of crib death syndrome. The parents give permission to refer the newborn for a necropsy. The pathologist receives the newborn with her brain and performs a gross and microscopic examination. The physician issues the findings and reports they are consistent with a normal female newborn.
What CPT code is reported?
Suggested Answer: A
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Procedure: Gross and microscopic examination of a newborn autopsy.
CPT Code:
88028: This code is for the autopsy, gross and microscopic examination of a stillborn or newborn.
Code Selection Justification: The procedure described matches the comprehensive postmortem examination of a newborn.
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32 comments · newest first
DO
Dorian
10 months ago
Why would they need a necropsy if the cause was crib death?
LA
Lavera
11 months ago
I’d go with 88012, seems more fitting for this case.
OZ
Ozell
11 months ago
Wait, is it really that straightforward?
BR
Brittney
11 months ago
I think it’s definitely 88028 for the examination.
CL
Claudio
11 months ago
The necropsy findings were normal, so it’s likely a routine code.
DA
Danica
12 months ago
I thought 88014 was for a complete autopsy, but I’m confused about whether that fits the scenario of a newborn.
ES
Estrella
12 months ago
I remember that 88028 is for a specific type of cytopathology, but I don't know if it applies here.
JU
Justine
12 months ago
I practiced a question similar to this, and I feel like 88029 was mentioned for some kind of examination, but I'm not entirely sure.
AR
Art
1 year ago
I think the code for a necropsy is related to the examination type, but I can't remember if it's 88012 or 88014.
RO
Rosalind
1 year ago
This seems straightforward to me. Since the pathologist reported the findings as consistent with a normal newborn, the appropriate CPT code is D, 88014.
MA
Malcom
1 year ago
I feel pretty confident about this one. Based on the information provided, the pathologist's findings indicate a normal examination, so the correct CPT code would be A, 88028.
JO
Jolanda
1 year ago
I'm a bit confused by this question. The details about the crib death syndrome and the necropsy make me unsure which code would be most appropriate. I'll need to double-check the CPT code descriptions to make sure I select the right one.
DO
Dottie
1 year ago
Okay, let's see here. The key information seems to be that the pathologist performed a gross and microscopic examination of the newborn's brain and found the findings to be consistent with a normal female newborn. I think the answer is probably B, 88012.
SH
Shantay
1 year ago
Hmm, this seems like a tricky one. I'll need to carefully review the details about the newborn's condition and the pathologist's findings to determine the appropriate CPT code.
SC
Scarlet
1 year ago
I've got a good feeling about TLS decryption for this question. That sounds like the right solution.
RE
Ressie
2 years ago
I'm not a pathologist, but I'd say the answer is clearly D) 88014. It's the only one that mentions 'newborn' in the description.
JA
James
2 years ago
C: Yes, I would go with D) 88014 as well.
TR
Tricia
2 years ago
B: I agree, it seems like the most relevant option.
RO
Rosina
2 years ago
A: I think the answer is D) 88014 because it mentions 'newborn'.
DE
Derick
2 years ago
Wait, what? This is a crib death case, not a murder mystery! Just give me the right code and let's move on.
LO
Louvenia
2 years ago
Hmm, this is a tough one. I'm going to go with C) 88029 - it's the code for a partial autopsy, which might be closer to what was done here.
JA
Jackie
2 years ago
I think D) 88014 is for a postmortem examination, but I'm not completely sure.
EL
Elke
2 years ago
I agree with you, C) 88029 seems like the best choice for a partial autopsy.
GL
Glendora
2 years ago
I'm not sure, but I think B) 88012 is for a limited autopsy.
JA
Jani
2 years ago
I think it might be A) 88028 - that's the code for a complete autopsy.
JA
Jamal
2 years ago
I'm not sure, but I think it could also be 88029. The findings were consistent with a normal newborn, so maybe that code fits better.
YU
Yuette
2 years ago
I agree with you, 88028 seems like the most appropriate code for this scenario.
ME
Melinda
2 years ago
B) 88012 seems more appropriate to me. It's the code for a brain-only autopsy, which is what the pathologist performed.
CA
Carlton
2 years ago
I think the correct answer is D) 88014. That code is for a complete autopsy of a newborn, which seems to fit the description of the case.
SH
Sharee
2 years ago
Yes, that code matches the description of the case where the pathologist performed a gross and microscopic examination on the newborn.
KA
Kallie
2 years ago
I agree, D) 88014 seems like the correct code for a complete autopsy of a newborn.
VA
Valentine
2 years ago
I think the CPT code reported should be 88028.