AAPC Medical Terminology & Coding Guidelines 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The prefix 'brady-' in a medical term means:
- Fast
- Slow (Correct answer)
- Abnormal
- Painful
Correct answer: Slow
Brady- means slow, as in bradycardia (slow heart rate).
Question 2: Which coding guideline requires a diagnosis to be coded to the highest level of specificity?
- UHDDS guideline
- ICD-10-CM Official Guideline Section I.A.3 (Correct answer)
- CMS Place of Service policy
- AHA Coding Clinic advice
Correct answer: ICD-10-CM Official Guideline Section I.A.3
ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines Section I.A.3 requires coding to the highest degree of specificity supported by documentation.
Question 3: The suffix '-ectomy' indicates:
- Surgical repair
- Surgical removal (Correct answer)
- Visual examination
- Incision into
Correct answer: Surgical removal
-Ectomy means surgical excision or removal of a body part.
Question 4: When a patient is admitted for chemotherapy and also receives radiation therapy during the same encounter, which condition is sequenced first?
- The neoplasm being treated
- The chemotherapy encounter Z code (Correct answer)
- The radiation therapy encounter Z code
- The most severe symptom
Correct answer: The chemotherapy encounter Z code
Per ICD-10-CM guidelines, the encounter for chemotherapy (Z51.11) is the principal diagnosis when it is the reason for the encounter.
Question 5: The medical term 'dyspnea' means:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty breathing (Correct answer)
- Painful urination
- Abnormal heart rhythm
Correct answer: Difficulty breathing
Dyspnea is derived from dys- (difficult) and -pnea (breathing), meaning labored or difficult breathing.
Question 6: Under ICD-10-CM guidelines, the term 'excludes1' note means:
- Both codes may be reported together when clinically appropriate
- The excluded condition is not part of the condition it is excluded from and codes cannot be used together (Correct answer)
- The code is a placeholder and not used for reporting
- The condition is included in the code above
Correct answer: The excluded condition is not part of the condition it is excluded from and codes cannot be used together
An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur together and the codes cannot be reported together.
Question 7: The combining form 'hepat/o' refers to which organ?
- Kidney
- Heart
- Liver (Correct answer)
- Spleen
Correct answer: Liver
Hepat/o is the combining form for liver, as in hepatitis (inflammation of the liver).
AAPC Medical Terminology & Coding Guidelines 2
The prefix 'brady-' in a medical term means: