Vent hours on patient with brain death and organ donation.

justamandakayjustamandakay
in Clinical & Coding
I have a question about time of death when the patient is brain dead and going to be an organ donor. Vent hours was less than 96 hours  when the patient was declared dead by neurologist.  Life share arrived five hours later.  Family decided to not donate organs so patient was extubated at >96 vent hours.  What are the vent hours that should be coded?  

Comments

  • evanspx@sutterhealth.orgevanspx@sutterhealth.org

    After admission which necessitated MV, patient declines and brain death is declared.  The encounter did not end when the patent was declared brain dead, but will end when the patent is formally declared ‘expired’ or transferred to Hospice. 

    My opinion is you count the entire time as ‘on MV”.

    Paul Evans, RHIA, CCDS
  • justamandakayjustamandakay
    Thank you Paul!
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