This type of cast is cumbersome and creates economic hardship for some patients. Is Ace wrap considered strapping? Ace wrap is a type of elastic adhesive tape and its application by the physician would be reported using If your provider is doing the strapping in coordination with fracture care, injury, or dislocation treatment, don't separately report Is a thumb spica splint static or dynamic?
Depending on the patient's specific condition, thumb splints can be static or dynamic, with styles that just support the thumb, or that extend to the forearm to provide support for both the thumb and wrist. Thumb splints can keep the thumb immobilized, while still allowing the fingers to move.
What is a thumb spica splint? Is a sling considered a splint? These splinting methods are short-term first aid measures until a doctor can check the injury. A sling is a bandage used to support an injured arm. Fissure fracture: A crack extending from a surface into, but not through, a long bone. Lead pipe fracture: The bone cortex is slightly compressed and bulged on one side, with a slight crack on the other side of the bone. Ping-pong fracture: A type of depressed skull fracture usually seen in young children, resembling the indentation that can be produced with the finger into a ping-pong ball; when elevated it resumes and retains its normal position.
These are just a few fracture types; the list is extensive. To help with coding when reviewing fracture documentation, have a medical dictionary or other resource on hand to look up unfamiliar terms.
How Do You Fix Fractures? Generally, bones heal best when immobilized, so treatment often involves casting the broken bone or fracture , and may require surgery to set the bone in place. Prior to casting or fixation, the broken bone s must be returned to its proper position.
When coding fractures, you will need to know the type of reduction used, as well as which body part is affected leg, arm, finger, foot, etc. As an example, consider the X-ray images in Figure 2. Each describes a different type of fracture and fracture reduction. The X-ray on the left reveals a fracture on the third or long finger proximal phalanx On film A, the short arrow shows a displaced fracture of the index finger There are also types of internal fixation for fractures, such as rods and spheres.
There are two common approaches when coding non-manipulative fracture care services. X-ray and supplies may be separately reported. In such a case, proper coding would be: Procedure: Do not code separately for cast or splint application.
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Health Information Management. Keep in mind, you should only bill an application code if work is involved in making the cast or splint out of materials such as plaster or fiberglass. You stabilize the affected extremity by applying a static, short-arm fiberglass splint and refer the patient to an orthopedist for follow-up. Since you are not providing restorative care and have referred the patient on, you can bill both for both the supplies used to make the splint as well as the application, using the following codes:.
This is considered to be definitive care and the rules for billing are a little different.
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