Running Head: Spirometry Test Procedure

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Spirometry Test Procedure

Procedure performed that is reported in the medicine section.

Spirometry

This procedure is the most common test type under the pulmonary function tests. It entails

measuring the amount of air one can breathe in and out of the lungs in addition to the ease and

speed with which the person can blow the air out of the lungs.

This procedure is particularly useful in the diagnosis of COPD and asthma. Let us consider the

diagnosis of asthma for our discussion.

In order to determine an accurate CPT code for the procedure, the following details are

important:

1. Name of the procedure to be carried out which in our case is a spirometry test procedure.

2. The specific organ to be considered. In this case, we are interested in checking the

functioning of the lung and so our organ of interest is the lung.

3. The patient’s condition: in this case, we are considering a case of asthma

4. Synonym of the procedure to be performed: Measurement and graphic recording of total and

time exhaled air capacity.

5. Abbreviations of procedure to be performed: SPMTRY W/VC EXPIRATORY FLO W/WO

MXML VOL VNT.

Medical necessity for the performance of a spirometry:

A patient visits the physician and confirms having the common indications of asthma. The signs

and symptoms include:

Spirometry Test Procedure

Coughing

Laboured breathing

The tightness of the chest

Wheezing that is recurrent

Worsening of the symptoms during the night

Symptoms which are activated by exercise and exposure to cold air or allergens

The physician will then proceed to examine the patient’s upper airways and throat, use a

stethoscope to listen to the patient’s breathing—in the case of asthma, a characteristic wheezing

during exhalation will be heard, and check the patient’s skin for indications of allergic reactions.

Positive results from the physical examination, coupled with the signs and symptoms indicated

by the patient, will serve to persuade the physician of a possible case of asthma. To further

confirm the suspicions, the physician will recommend that the patient undertakes a spirometry

test to check the functioning of his/her lungs (Belfare, B. et al. 2017). If it happens that the

physician does not own the equipment for the procedure, then he/she will refer the patient to a

facility with the required equipment. In this case, the physician will only offer the interpretation

and report for the spirometry procedure.

Accurate CPT code for a spirometry test procedure:

After the performance of the spirometry test, the physician will report the CPT code 94010:

spirometry, that includes graphic record, total as well as timed vital capacity, expiratory flow rate

measurement(s), with or without maximum voluntary ventilation.

Spirometry Test Procedure

Necessary modifier for the procedure:

Due to the referral, the physician will report the modifier -26 to indicate that he/ she did not own

the equipment used to carry out the procedure.

Therefore, the complete and accurate CPT code to be reported by the physician, in this case, will

be 94010-26.
Spirometry Test Procedure

References

Belfrage, B., Hansson, A., & Bake, B. (2016). Performance and interpretation of spirometry

among Swedish hospitals. The clinical respiratory journal, 10(5), 567-573.

Heijkenskjöld Rentzhog, C., Janson, C., Berglund, L., Borres, M. P., Nordvall, L., Alving, K., &

Malinovschi, A. (2017). Overall and peripheral lung function assessment by spirometry

and forced oscillation technique in relation to asthma diagnosis and control. Clinical &

Experimental Allergy, 47(12), 1546-1554.

Walker, P. P., & Key, A. L. (2016). How to perform peak flow and spirometry tests. Student

BMJ, 23.