2025 CPT code 99140
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Medicine - Qualifying Circumstances for Anesthesia Feed
Anesthesia complicated by emergency conditions.
Modifiers may be applicable to the primary anesthesia procedure code, but not to code 99140 itself.
Medical necessity for this code requires the presence of an emergency medical condition as defined above that complicates the administration of anesthesia. This must impact the anesthesiologist’s decision-making and work.
The physician must document the "emergency condition" and the reason for the emergency clearly in the medical record of the patient. The anesthesiologist or other anesthesia provider performs the anesthesia procedure on the patient, and if any emergency situation arises (such as rapid heartbeat, high or low blood pressure, or other health risk factors) that can affect the anesthesia service, the emergency condition is documented in the medical record.
In simple words: This code is used when anesthesia is made more complex due to an emergency situation the patient is experiencing.This isn't a code used by itself, but in addition to the main anesthesia code.
Anesthesia complicated by emergency conditions (specify) (List separately in addition to code for primary anesthesia procedure). An emergency is defined as existing when delay in treatment of the patient would lead to a significant increase in the threat to life or body part.
Example 1: A patient with a severe open fracture of the femur is brought to the emergency room. Due to the patient losing a lot of blood, they are in shock with low blood pressure. General anesthesia is administered for the emergency surgical repair of the femur fracture. Due to the patient's emergent condition and blood loss, the anesthesiologist needs to take extra care to stabilize the patient and administer blood products. The emergency condition is reported with code 99140 in addition to the primary anesthesia procedure code., A patient with a ruptured appendix is brought to the operating room for an emergency appendectomy. During the induction of anesthesia, the patient experiences a sudden drop in blood pressure and heart rate. The anesthesiologist takes quick action to stabilize the patient and proceeds with general anesthesia. Code 99140 is reported in addition to the primary anesthesia procedure code., A pregnant woman at 30 weeks gestation is brought to the emergency room with severe pre-eclampsia and requires an emergency C-section. The patient is at high risk for seizures during anesthesia induction. The anesthesiologist induces general anesthesia taking additional precautions due to the patient's medical condition. Code 99140 is reported for the emergency condition complicating the anesthesia in addition to the primary anesthesia procedure code for the C-section.
Documentation must support the existence of an emergency, defined as a situation where delaying treatment would significantly increase the threat to the patient's life or body part. The specific emergency condition should be clearly documented in the patient's medical record by the anesthesiologist.
** Code 99140 is for emergency conditions affecting the delivery of anesthesia, not for the emergency nature of the procedure itself. While more than one qualifying circumstance code may be reported if applicable, it’s not appropriate to report 99140 if the underlying reason for the emergency is already reflected in another qualifying circumstance code.
- RVU: 2
- Specialties:Anesthesiology
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center, and other places where anesthesia services are provided in emergent situations.