A pediatrician performed a lumbar puncture on a 2-day-old premature infant weighing 2.3 kg with possible meningitis. What is the correct code for this service?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct code for this service is with 62270 (Spinal Puncture, Lumbar, Diagnostic) combined with modifier -63 to indicate that the patient weighed less than 4 kg. Code 62270 (Spinal Puncture, Therapeutic, for Drainage or Cerebrospinal Fluid) is incorrect because the lumbar puncture was performed to evaluate the spinal column fluid not treat the spinal column by performing the lumbar puncture.

A Pediatrician Performed a Lumbar Puncture on a 2-Day-Old Premature