Sample Questions with Answers for Inpatient and Outpatient coders

Need for Sample or Model Question and Answers for CPC or CCS exam

Freshers in medical coding will be always in search of study material for medical coding certification exam. So, today I will provide you some important study guide. Below I am sharing few sample Question and Answers for Inpatient and Outpatient medical coders. These questions will help you in preparing for Medical coding certification exam. Some of the questions are based on POA indicators, so please read first my previous post of POA indicators. Also, few question are on ICD 10 codes, do read the coding guidelines first before attempting these question. Below are few post on ICD 10 codes which might help you in solving the questions.

When to use Z code as Secondary diagnosis?

Coding tips for Initial and Subsequent encounter ICD 10 codes for Injuries

Common diagnosis coding errors by Medical coders

How to code perfectly pregnancy Complication ICD 1o codes

Difference Between Aftercare and Followup ICD 10 Z codes

Difference between Excludes 1 and Excludes 2.

Sample Questions with Answers for Inpatient and Outpatient coders

Sample Questions and Answers for Medical coders for CPC or CCS Exam

1. A patient is admitted for lethargy and muscle aches. A test for Lyme disease is ordered. The patient is discharged home prior to the final test result being available. The result is positive. One week after discharge, the provider documents the final diagnosis as “Lyme disease.” Which POA indicator is assigned, and why?
A. POA indicator W is assigned. The provider was clinically unable to determine the etiology of the lethargy and muscle aches at the time of discharge.
B. POA indicator U is assigned. Since the laboratory results were not available at the time of discharge, there was insufficient documentation to assign a diagnosis code.
C. POA indicator Y is assigned. The timing of the results indicating Lyme disease is not relevant. The cause of the symptoms was identified as Lyme disease.
D. POA indicator N is assigned. The diagnosis of Lyme disease was not documented at the time of admission.

2. A patient previously diagnosed with anorexia nervosa is admitted with abdominal pain. After admission, the patient expresses her dislike of hospital food and refuses to eat. A consulting psychiatrist documents that the anorexia nervosa is exacerbated. Which POA indicator is assigned to code F50.00, and why?
A. POA indicator N is assigned. The acute exacerbation occurred after admission. The guideline pertaining to combination codes is applied.
B. POA indicator Y is assigned. When there is no combination code available, Y is assigned regardless of when the acute exacerbation of a chronic condition occurred.
C. POA indicator N is assigned. An additional code describing the chronic anorexia nervosa is assigned POA indicator Y.
D. POA indicator Y is assigned. The patient’s refusal to eat was a symptom of anorexia nervosa, present on admission.

3. A patient is admitted for an exacerbation of Crohn’s disease causing an obstruction of both the duodenum and the ileum. How many diagnosis codes are assigned and with which POA indicator?
A. Assign two codes for these diagnoses, both with POA indicator Y.
B. Assign one code for these diagnoses, and POA indicator Y.
C. Assign three codes for these diagnoses, two with POA indicator Y and one with POA indicator U.
D. Assign two codes for these diagnoses, one with POA indicator Y and one with POA indicator U.

4. A patient is admitted for treatment of acute diverticulitis. The history and physical report mentions that the patient has mild intermittent asthma. Friends send flowers to the patient’s room, bringing on an acute exacerbation of the known asthma. Which POA indicator is assigned to code J45.21, and why?
A. POA indicator N is assigned. The acute exacerbation occurred after admission. The guideline pertaining to combination codes is applied.
B. POA indicator Y is assigned. The patient was known to have chronic asthma prior to admission, so asthma was present on admission.
C. POA indicator N is assigned. An additional code describing the chronic condition is assigned POA indicator Y.
D. POA indicator Y is assigned. An additional code describing the chronic condition is assigned POA indicator Y.

5. Which of the following are exempt from the POA reporting requirement? Select all that apply.
A. Fall from the operating table
B. Congenital malformations
C. Acquired absence of limb
D. Outcome of delivery
E. Old myocardial infarction
F. Striking against sports equipment with subsequent fall

Try to solve this question by Self.

6. A patient is admitted with shortness of breath. Results of a thoracotomy with lung biopsy indicate lung cancer. Following the thoracotomy, the patient develops acute pulmonary insufficiency. Which POA indicators are assigned to the diagnoses in this case?
A. Assign POA indicator Y to the lung cancer diagnosis and POA indicator N to the acute pulmonary insufficiency diagnosis.
B. Assign POA indicator U to the lung cancer diagnosis and POA indicator Y to the acute pulmonary insufficiency diagnosis.
C. Assign POA indicator N to the lung cancer diagnosis and POA indicator Y to the acute pulmonary insufficiency diagnosis.
D. Assign POA indicator U to the lung cancer diagnosis and POA indicator N to the acute pulmonary insufficiency diagnosis.

7. A patient is admitted with hypertensive heart disease with congestive heart failure. In addition, the patient has type 2 diabetes on medication that is currently under control. How would this case be coded and sequenced?

 A. I11.0, I50.9

B. I50.9, E11.9

C. I11.0, I50.9, E11.9

D. I11.0, E11.9

8. Which codes are never assigned as a principal diagnosis? Select all that apply. 

A. Z33.2

B. T36.0X6A

C. T36.0X3A

D. T59.812S

E. V00.01XD

F. Z15.81

Solve this question by self.

9. A patient presents to the outpatient surgery unit for a thyroidectomy to treat their hyperthyroidism. During the surgery the patient experienced tachycardia due to thyrotoxic storm. The thyrotoxic storm is a complication of the surgery. The procedure was stopped and propylthiouracil (PTU) was administered. Patient was admitted to the ICU. Iodine therapy was administered approximately 1 hour following the administration of PTU. 
What is the principal diagnosis for the inpatient admission? 

A. E05.91, Thyrotoxicosis, unspecified with thyrotoxic crisis or storm

B. R00.0, Tachycardia, unspecified

C. E36.8, Other intraoperative complications of endocrine system

D. T88.9XXA, Complication of surgical and medical care, unspecified, initial encounter

 

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