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Official Description

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (eg, in cardiac arrest)

© Copyright 2025 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.

Common Language Description

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a critical emergency procedure aimed at restoring normal heart and lung function in a patient experiencing cardiopulmonary arrest. This life-saving technique is typically administered by healthcare providers who are certified in CPR. The procedure involves two primary components: artificial ventilation and chest compressions. During CPR, the healthcare provider ensures that the patient's lungs are filled with air, which can be achieved by pinching the nose and delivering breaths through the patient's mouth or by using a ventilating bag. Concurrently, chest compressions are performed to maintain blood circulation, which is essential for delivering oxygen to vital organs. In some cases, a defibrillator may be employed to deliver an electric shock to the heart, with the goal of restoring a normal rhythm. The effectiveness of CPR is highly dependent on the promptness and proper execution of these techniques, making it a vital skill in emergency medical situations.

© Copyright 2025 Coding Ahead. All rights reserved.

1. Indications

The procedure of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is indicated in situations where a patient is experiencing cardiopulmonary arrest. This condition is characterized by the cessation of effective heart function and breathing, which can result from various medical emergencies. The following are specific indications for performing CPR:

  • Cardiac Arrest - The most common indication for CPR, where the heart stops beating effectively, leading to a lack of blood flow to vital organs.
  • Respiratory Arrest - A situation where the patient is not breathing, which may occur due to choking, drowning, or severe respiratory conditions.
  • Unresponsiveness - When a patient is unresponsive and does not exhibit normal breathing, indicating a potential life-threatening emergency.

2. Procedure

The procedure of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) involves several critical steps that must be executed promptly and effectively to maximize the chances of survival. The following outlines the procedural steps involved in CPR:

  • Step 1: Assess the Situation - The first step in performing CPR is to ensure the safety of both the rescuer and the patient. The rescuer should check for responsiveness by gently shaking the patient and shouting to see if they respond. If the patient is unresponsive, the rescuer should call for emergency medical assistance immediately.
  • Step 2: Check for Breathing - After confirming unresponsiveness, the rescuer should check for normal breathing. This can be done by observing the chest for movement, listening for breath sounds, and feeling for airflow. If the patient is not breathing or only gasping, CPR should be initiated.
  • Step 3: Begin Chest Compressions - The rescuer should position their hands in the center of the patient’s chest and begin delivering chest compressions. Compressions should be performed at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute, with a depth of about 2 inches in adults. The compressions should be allowed to fully recoil between each push to ensure effective blood flow.
  • Step 4: Provide Rescue Breaths - After every 30 chest compressions, the rescuer should provide 2 rescue breaths. This is done by tilting the patient’s head back slightly to open the airway, pinching the nose shut, and sealing their mouth with the rescuer’s mouth to deliver a breath. Each breath should last about 1 second and should make the chest rise visibly.
  • Step 5: Use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) - If an AED is available, it should be used as soon as possible. The rescuer should turn on the AED, follow the voice prompts, and attach the pads to the patient’s bare chest. The AED will analyze the heart rhythm and advise whether a shock is needed. If a shock is advised, the rescuer should ensure no one is touching the patient and deliver the shock as instructed.
  • Step 6: Continue CPR - CPR should be continued until emergency medical personnel arrive, an AED is available and used, or the patient shows signs of life, such as breathing or movement.

3. Post-Procedure

After the administration of CPR, it is crucial to monitor the patient closely until emergency medical services arrive. If the patient begins to breathe normally or shows signs of consciousness, they should be placed in the recovery position to maintain an open airway. Continuous assessment of the patient's condition is necessary, and any changes should be communicated to the arriving medical personnel. It is also important to document the events leading up to the CPR, the actions taken during the procedure, and the patient's response to those actions for further medical evaluation and treatment.

Short Descr HEART/LUNG RESUSCITATION CPR
Medium Descr CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION
Long Descr Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (eg, in cardiac arrest)
Status Code Active Code
Global Days 000 - Endoscopic or Minor Procedure
PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) 0 - Physician Service Code
Multiple Procedures (51) 0 - No payment adjustment rules for multiple procedures apply.
Bilateral Surgery (50) 0 - 150% payment adjustment for bilateral procedures does NOT apply.
Physician Supervisions 09 - Concept does not apply.
Assistant Surgeon (80, 82) 0 - Payment restriction for assistants at surgery applies to this procedure...
Co-Surgeons (62) 0 - Co-surgeons not permitted for this procedure.
Team Surgery (66) 0 - Team surgeons not permitted for this procedure.
Diagnostic Imaging Family 99 - Concept Does Not Apply
APC Status Indicator Procedure or Service, Not Discounted when Multiple
Type of Service (TOS) 1 - Medical Care
Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) P2F - Major procedure, cardiovascular-Other
MUE 2
CCS Clinical Classification 63 - Other non-OR therapeutic cardiovascular procedures
GC This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician
X4 Episodic/focused services: for reporting services by clinicians who provide focused care on particular types of treatment limited to a defined period and circumstance; the patient has a problem, acute or chronic, that will be treated with surgery, radiation, or some other type of generally time-limited intervention; reporting clinician service examples include but are not limited to, the orthopedic surgeon performing a knee replacement and seeing the patient through the postoperative period
59 Distinct procedural service: under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other non-e/m services performed on the same day. modifier 59 is used to identify procedures/services, other than e/m services, that are not normally reported together, but are appropriate under the circumstances. documentation must support a different session, different procedure or surgery, different site or organ system, separate incision/excision, separate lesion, or separate injury (or area of injury in extensive injuries) not ordinarily encountered or performed on the same day by the same individual. however, when another already established modifier is appropriate it should be used rather than modifier 59. only if no more descriptive modifier is available, and the use of modifier 59 best explains the circumstances, should modifier 59 be used. note: modifier 59 should not be appended to an e/m service. to report a separate and distinct e/m service with a non-e/m service performed on the same date, see modifier 25.
GW Service not related to the hospice patient's terminal condition
AQ Physician providing a service in an unlisted health professional shortage area (hpsa)
GV Attending physician not employed or paid under arrangement by the patient's hospice provider
XU Unusual non-overlapping service, the use of a service that is distinct because it does not overlap usual components of the main service
CR Catastrophe/disaster related
76 Repeat procedure or service by same physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was repeated by the same physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 76 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service.
77 Repeat procedure by another physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a basic procedure or service was repeated by another physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 77 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service.
XE Separate encounter, a service that is distinct because it occurred during a separate encounter
22 Increased procedural services: when the work required to provide a service is substantially greater than typically required, it may be identified by adding modifier 22 to the usual procedure code. documentation must support the substantial additional work and the reason for the additional work (ie, increased intensity, time, technical difficulty of procedure, severity of patient's condition, physical and mental effort required). note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service.
25 Significant, separately identifiable evaluation and management service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional on the same day of the procedure or other service: it may be necessary to indicate that on the day a procedure or service identified by a cpt code was performed, the patient's condition required a significant, separately identifiable e/m service above and beyond the other service provided or beyond the usual preoperative and postoperative care associated with the procedure that was performed. a significant, separately identifiable e/m service is defined or substantiated by documentation that satisfies the relevant criteria for the respective e/m service to be reported (see evaluation and management services guidelines for instructions on determining level of e/m service). the e/m service may be prompted by the symptom or condition for which the procedure and/or service was provided. as such, different diagnoses are not required for reporting of the e/m services on the same date. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 25 to the appropriate level of e/m service. note: this modifier is not used to report an e/m service that resulted in a decision to perform surgery. see modifier 57 for significant, separately identifiable non-e/m services, see modifier 59.
51 Multiple procedures: when multiple procedures, other than e/m services, physical medicine and rehabilitation services or provision of supplies (eg, vaccines), are performed at the same session by the same individual, the primary procedure or service may be reported as listed. the additional procedure(s) or service(s) may be identified by appending modifier 51 to the additional procedure or service code(s). note: this modifier should not be appended to designated "add-on" codes (see appendix d).
52 Reduced services: under certain circumstances a service or procedure is partially reduced or eliminated at the discretion of the physician or other qualified health care professional. under these circumstances the service provided can be identified by its usual procedure number and the addition of modifier 52, signifying that the service is reduced. this provides a means of reporting reduced services without disturbing the identification of the basic service. note: for hospital outpatient reporting of a previously scheduled procedure/service that is partially reduced or cancelled as a result of extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well-being of the patient prior to or after administration of anesthesia, see modifiers 73 and 74 (see modifiers approved for asc hospital outpatient use).
53 Discontinued procedure: under certain circumstances, the physician or other qualified health care professional may elect to terminate a surgical or diagnostic procedure. due to extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well being of the patient, it may be necessary to indicate that a surgical or diagnostic procedure was started but discontinued. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 53 to the code reported by the individual for the discontinued procedure. note: this modifier is not used to report the elective cancellation of a procedure prior to the patient's anesthesia induction and/or surgical preparation in the operating suite. for outpatient hospital/ambulatory surgery center (asc) reporting of a previously scheduled procedure/service that is partially reduced or cancelled as a result of extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well being of the patient prior to or after administration of anesthesia, see modifiers 73 and 74 (see modifiers approved for asc hospital outpatient use).
58 Staged or related procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period: it may be necessary to indicate that the performance of a procedure or service during the postoperative period was: (a) planned or anticipated (staged); (b) more extensive than the original procedure; or (c) for therapy following a surgical procedure. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 58 to the staged or related procedure. note: for treatment of a problem that requires a return to the operating/procedure room (eg, unanticipated clinical condition), see modifier 78.
78 Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room by the same physician or other qualified health care professional following initial procedure for a related procedure during the postoperative period: it may be necessary to indicate that another procedure was performed during the postoperative period of the initial procedure (unplanned procedure following initial procedure). when this procedure is related to the first, and requires the use of an operating/procedure room, it may be reported by adding modifier 78 to the related procedure. (for repeat procedures, see modifier 76.)
79 Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period: the individual may need to indicate that the performance of a procedure or service during the postoperative period was unrelated to the original procedure. this circumstance may be reported by using modifier 79. (for repeat procedures on the same day, see modifier 76.)
80 Assistant surgeon: surgical assistant services may be identified by adding modifier 80 to the usual procedure number(s).
95 Synchronous telemedicine service rendered via a real-time interactive audio and video telecommunications system: synchronous telemedicine service is defined as a real-time interaction between a physician or other qualified health care professional and a patient who is located at a distant site from the physician or other qualified health care professional. the totality of the communication of information exchanged between the physician or other qualified health care professional and the patient during the course of the synchronous telemedicine service must be of an amount and nature that would be sufficient to meet the key components and/or requirements of the same service when rendered via a face-to-face interaction. modifier 95 may only be appended to the services listed in appendix p. appendix p is the list of cpt codes for services that are typically performed face-to-face, but may be rendered via a real-time (synchronous) interactive audio and video telecommunications system.
AG Primary physician
AI Principal physician of record
AK Non participating physician
AS Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services for assistant at surgery
CG Policy criteria applied
ER Items and services furnished by a provider-based, off-campus emergency department
ET Emergency services
F9 Right hand, fifth digit
FS Split (or shared) evaluation and management visit
FT Unrelated evaluation and management (e/m) visit on the same day as another e/m visit or during a global procedure (preoperative, postoperative period, or on the same day as the procedure, as applicable). (report when an e/m visit is furnished within the global period but is unrelated, or when one or more additional e/m visits furnished on the same day are unrelated)
GZ Item or service expected to be denied as not reasonable and necessary
LT Left side (used to identify procedures performed on the left side of the body)
Q1 Routine clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study
Q6 Service furnished under a fee-for-time compensation arrangement by a substitute physician or by a substitute physical therapist furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area
RT Right side (used to identify procedures performed on the right side of the body)
SA Nurse practitioner rendering service in collaboration with a physician
ST Related to trauma or injury
X3 Episodic/broad services: for reporting services by clinicians who have broad responsibility for the comprehensive needs of the patient that is limited to a defined period and circumstance such as a hospitalization; reporting clinician service examples include but are not limited to the hospitalist's services rendered providing comprehensive and general care to a patient while admitted to the hospital
XP Separate practitioner, a service that is distinct because it was performed by a different practitioner
XS Separate structure, a service that is distinct because it was performed on a separate organ/structure
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Pre-1990 Added Code added.
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