IV Medication/Fluids Post OP

Good Morning All!

The title should have read "IV Medication/Fluids Post OP". The RAI reads "Do not code services that were provided solely in conjuction with a surgical or diagnostic procedure and the immedicate post-operative or post-procedure recovery period". So ... how long is the post-procedure period? Can pain meds and fluids for the day after surgury be coded? How about all the rest: intake/output, ostomy care, oxygen, suctioning, transfusions, ventilator? If these are NOT coded for the entire hospital stay, I would rarely code these services at all. Hmmm ...

It is my understanding that the position here is that IV running for post anesthesia reasons are not coded, they are related to the surgery. I would not count fluids the day after surgery for this reason. the reasonable expectation is that if they are receiving it after the surgical procedure, it is related to the procedure and therefore not MDS-able. Related to pain meds, if Once they hit the facility again, if they continue on these same meds, I count thm from in the building only, not the post op meds if they were not previously on them.

also, you can find so many answers at http://www.cms.hhs.gov