The patient was seen in the ER clinic for severe dehydration after a stomach virus. The patient received an intravenous infusion of fluids and electrolytes in the ER. Infusion was began at 3:00 PM and ended at 6:15 PM. What is the correct code for this infusion service?
Explanation
Answer: B - The correct codes for the infusion service are: 96360 (Intravenous Infusion, Hydration; Initial, 31 Minutes to 1 Hour) and 96361 (X2) (Intravenous Infusion, Hydration; Each Additional Hour). The total time spent on the infusion was 3 hours 15 minutes. Code 96360 accounts for the first hour, while code 96361 (X2) accounts for the next two hours. The last 15 minutes is not reported because, according to CPT guidelines, code 96361 is only used to report hydration infusion intervals, greater than 30 minutes beyond the 1 hour increments.
