What’s the meaning of this installment of “Spotlight on CPT”? Well, if you have ever wondered exactly how to interpret the abbreviations e.g. and i.e. often seen in parenthetical notes within a CPT code definition, then this blog is for you.
In an August 2023 CPT Assistant, coding conventions for the CPT classification system were reviewed and included the abbreviations e.g. and i.e. Both abbreviations are for Latin phrases. The e.g. abbreviation stands for exempli gratia which means “for example”. Whereas the i.e. abbreviation stands for id est meaning “that is”. Let’s look at how they translate in CPT.
We begin with code 15731-forehead flap with preservation of vascular pedicle (eg, axial pattern flap, paramedian forehead flap). Since e.g. means “for example”, the two types of flaps mentioned in the parenthetical note are simply some examples of the types of forehead flaps that are covered, but they are not the only ones. Usage of the e.g. abbreviation does not prevent a coding professional from applying this code to other forehead flaps that preserve a vascular pedicle.
The very next code in the CPT manual, 15733-muscle, myocutaneous, or fasciocutaneous flap; head and neck with named vascular pedicle (ie, buccinators, genioglossus, temporalis, masseter, sternocleidomastoid, levator scapulae) provides clarity on the meaning of the i.e. abbreviation. Recall that i.e. means “that is”, and here, what that parenthetical note is telling us is that only the terms or phrases enclosed in the parentheses are included in the code.
Sometimes, a code description will have more than one abbreviation within its description. For example, code 47541-placement of access through the biliary tree and into small bowel to assist with an endoscopic biliary procedure (eg, rendezvous procedure), percutaneous, including diagnostic cholangiography when performed, imaging guidance (eg, ultrasound and/or fluoroscopy), and all associated radiological supervision and interpretation, new access-actually tells us that the procedure may be called rendezvous or some other term, along with saying that imaging guidance performed would include ultrasound, fluoroscopy, or some other methodology.
In this next example, we see both abbreviations used in the same code description. CPT code 62327-Injection(s), including indwelling catheter placement, continuous or intermittent bolus, of diagnostic or therapeutic substance(s) (eg, anesthetic, antispasmodic, opioid, steroid, other solution), not including neurolytic substances, interlaminar epidural or subarachnoid, lumbar or sacral (caudal); with imaging guidance (ie, fluoroscopy or CT). Here, the e.g. abbreviation says that these are some of the different substances that could be administered but it is not an all-inclusive list; while the i.e. abbreviation is saying that the injections must be administered with imaging guidance which could only be fluoroscopy or CT.
Understanding the true intent of the abbreviations will help all coding professionals assign the appropriate CPT code.
Now, light has been shed on parenthetical abbreviations used in CPT.
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