Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Practice Test

What code should be assigned for an incision and drainage of a chronic candidal paronychia nail abscess?

1. 10060, 112.3

2. 10061, 112.2

3. 10062, 112.1

4. 10063, 112.0

The correct answer is: 10060, 112.3

In this case, the correct choice for coding an incision and drainage of a chronic candidal paronychia nail abscess is associated with the CPT code 10060. This code is specifically used for the incision and drainage of a simple abscess, which aligns with the procedure described in the question. Candidal paronychia refers to a fungal infection around the nail, often leading to the formation of an abscess that requires drainage. The inclusion of the diagnosis code 112.3 indicates a fungal infection due to Candida, which is pertinent to the context of this case as it highlights the underlying cause of the abscess. The other codes involving different numbers for the procedure (such as 10061, 10062, etc.) corresponds to more complex or different types of drainage procedures that would not apply to a standard simple abscess like the one presented in the query. Using 10060 accurately reflects the medical procedure performed and is consistent with standard coding practices for such an incision and drainage scenario.