AAPC CPC - Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Exam

00813 = Anesthesia for colonoscopy

QK = Medical direction of 2–4 cases

99100 = Extreme age

99140 = Emergency anesthesia

Brackets [ ] in the ICD-10-CM Alphabetic Index are used to identify manifestation codes.

These codes cannot be reported as the principal diagnosis and must be sequenced after the underlying condition.

This is a frequently tested ICD-10-CM guideline concept.

Debridement coding depends ondeepest tissue removedand thetotal surface areadebrided at each depth. Debridement “tomuscle and/or fascia” is coded with11043for thefirst 20 sq cm (or part thereof)at that depth. The lower-back wound involvesfascia, so report11043(no add-on 11046 is needed because the described size is below an additional 20 sq cm threshold). The shoulder (8) and lower-leg (16) wounds involvesubcutaneous tissue, which is coded with11042for thefirst 20 sq cm (or part thereof)at the subcutaneous depth. Their combined area is24 sq cm, so you report11042plus add-on11045for theadditional 4 sq cmbeyond the first 20. Because two different depth families are billed (fascia vs subcutaneous), adistinct procedural servicemodifier (here-59on 11042) supports reporting both depths when documentation shows separate wounds/levels treated. This matches optionD.

Zone 2 flexor tendon repairs (“no man’s land”) are coded with thezone 2 flexor tendon repair/advancementcode family. Because the case specifieszone 2 FDP tendon repairof the index finger, the correct tendon repair code is26356(zone 2 flexor tendon repair/advancement; primary, without free graft, each tendon). The associateddigital nerve repairis separately reported with64831(suture of digital nerve; one nerve). Since both procedures are performed in the same operative session, the secondary procedure commonly carriesmodifier -51for multiple procedures when required by payer/claim conventions (as reflected in the answer choices). The operative note specifically states use of anoperating microscopefor microsurgical nerve repair, which supports add-on code69990(microsurgical techniques requiring operating microscope), reportedonce per sessionandnotwith modifier 51. Therefore, the only fully correct option including tendon, nerve repair, and microscope reporting isA.

The scenario involves a secondary repair of two flexor tendons in the forearm. CPT® code 25272 describes the repair of a secondary flexor tendon injury, including a graft, in the forearm and/or wrist, which fits the description provided. This code should be reported once, as the procedure encompasses the repair of multiple tendons.

The mediastinum is an anatomical region located in the thoracic cavity. It is bounded by the sternum in front, the vertebral column at the back, and is situated between the lungs. It contains the heart, trachea, esophagus, thymus, and other structures, but it is not itself an organ. Therefore, the correct answer is that it is a location in the chest.

ICD-10-CM, Medical Anatomy and Physiology textbooks

This scenario describesnon-emergencytransportation arranged for a patient who iswheelchair-bound, traveling between a physician’s office and askilled nursing facility. HCPCS Level II includes specific “A” codes for non-emergency transport categories. The code that corresponds tonon-emergency transportation by wheelchair van(i.e., transport appropriate for a wheelchair-bound patient, not requiring an ambulance) isA0130in CPC-style code selection questions. By contrast,A0428/A0429would be ambulance codes (not offered here), and other A-codes in this option set represent different non-emergency transport circumstances (such as general transportation, litter van, or transportation that doesn’t specify wheelchair accommodation). The presence of asocial workerarranging transport and the patient’swheelchair-boundstatus strongly cues awheelchair vanlevel of service rather than ambulance. On the CPC exam, pay close attention to transport level: ambulance implies medical monitoring/medical necessity; wheelchair van implies mobility needs without ambulance-level clinical support. Therefore, the correct HCPCS Level II transportation code isA0130.

69209-RT – Removal of impacted cerumen using irrigation

69210-LT – Removal of impacted cerumen using instrumentation

Coding Rules Applied:

Different techniques → different CPT codes

Different ears → RT/LT modifiers, not modifier -50

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

A – Modifiers reversed

B / D – Modifier -50 inappropriate when different CPT codes are used

47000 = Percutaneous liver biopsy

77021 = MRI guidance for needle placement

Multiple cores are included in the biopsy code