New ECMO Procedural Codes
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), also known as extracorporeal life support (ECLS), is an extracorporeal technique of providing prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to persons whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of gas exchange or perfusion to sustain life. The technology for ECMO is largely derived from cardiopulmonary bypass, which provides shorter-term support.
This intervention has mostly been used on children, but it is seeing more use in adults with cardiac and respiratory failure. ECMO works by removing blood from the body and artificially removing the carbon dioxide and oxygenating red blood cells. Generally, it is used either post-cardiopulmonary bypass or in late stage treatment of a person with profound heart and/or lung failure awaiting transplants, although it is now seeing use as a treatment for cardiac arrest in certain centers, allowing treatment of the underlying cause of arrest while circulation and oxygenation are supported.
These new and the revised ECMO procedure code and description, effective October 1st, 2018, are shown in the following table.
PCS Code | Code Description | Clinical Description |
---|---|---|
5A1522F | Extracorporeal Oxygenation, Membrane, Central |
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5A1522G | Extracorporeal Oxygenation, Membrane, Peripheral Veno-arterial |
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5A1522H | Extracorporeal Oxygenation, Membrane, Peripheral Veno-venous |
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The MS-DRG assignment for a central ECMO procedure (5A1522F) will remain in Pre-MDC MS-DRG 003.
Effective October 1st, 2018, the MS-DRGs for the percutaneous ECMO procedures (5A1522G and 5A1522H) which are non-OR procedures will affect MS-DRG assignment as shown in the following table, along with the revised MS-DRG titles.
MDC | MS-DRG | MS-DRG Title |
---|---|---|
4 | 207 | Respiratory System Diagnosis with Ventilator Support >96 Hours or Peripheral Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) |
5 | 291 | Heart Failure and Shock with MCC or Peripheral Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) |
5 | 296 | Cardiac Arrest, Unexplained with MCC or Peripheral Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) |
18 | 870 | Septicemia or Severe Sepsis with MV>96 Hours or Peripheral Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) |