AAPC Medical Terminology & Coding Guidelines 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term describes inflammation of the urinary bladder?
- Nephritis
- Urethritis
- Cystitis (Correct answer)
- Pyelitis
Correct answer: Cystitis
Cystitis is inflammation of the cyst/o (bladder), a common urinary tract infection site.
Question 2: When coding an outpatient encounter, which guideline applies to uncertain diagnoses?
- Code the uncertain diagnosis as confirmed
- Code only signs and symptoms; do not code uncertain diagnoses (Correct answer)
- Code the most likely diagnosis
- Code both the uncertain diagnosis and its symptoms
Correct answer: Code only signs and symptoms; do not code uncertain diagnoses
For outpatient encounters, ICD-10-CM guidelines prohibit coding conditions described as 'probable,' 'suspected,' or 'questionable.'
Question 3: The suffix '-plasty' means:
- Surgical fixation
- Surgical repair or reconstruction (Correct answer)
- Incision
- Destruction
Correct answer: Surgical repair or reconstruction
-Plasty denotes surgical repair or reconstruction, such as rhinoplasty (nose repair).
Question 4: In CPT coding, what does the term 'separate procedure' in a code description indicate?
- The procedure is always billed separately
- The procedure is commonly part of a larger service and should not be billed separately when performed with a related procedure (Correct answer)
- The procedure requires a modifier
- The procedure is excluded from global surgery
Correct answer: The procedure is commonly part of a larger service and should not be billed separately when performed with a related procedure
A 'separate procedure' designation means the code should not be reported when performed as part of a more comprehensive related procedure.
Question 5: The prefix 'hyper-' means:
- Below normal
- Above normal or excessive (Correct answer)
- Within normal limits
- Without
Correct answer: Above normal or excessive
Hyper- means above, beyond, or excessive, as in hypertension (high blood pressure).
Question 6: Which ICD-10-CM code category is used for external causes of morbidity?
- Z codes (Z00-Z99)
- V, W, X, Y codes (V00-Y99) (Correct answer)
- S codes (S00-S99)
- T codes (T14-T88)
Correct answer: V, W, X, Y codes (V00-Y99)
ICD-10-CM V, W, X, Y codes (External Causes) describe the circumstances of injury or disease.
Question 7: The medical term 'erythrocyte' refers to:
- White blood cell
- Platelet
- Red blood cell (Correct answer)
- Plasma cell
Correct answer: Red blood cell
Erythrocyte comes from erythr/o (red) and -cyte (cell), meaning red blood cell.
AAPC Medical Terminology & Coding Guidelines 3
Which term describes inflammation of the urinary bladder?