Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Practice Test

In the context of laboratory coding, which procedure would likely be reported with code 88305?

1. Biopsy of the colon

2. Protime test

3. Lipid panel

4. TSH test

The correct answer is: Biopsy of the colon

The procedure that would likely be reported with code 88305 is a biopsy of the colon. This code is specifically designated for the professional interpretation of a tissue sample, which is typically obtained through a biopsy for pathological examination. The purpose of using this code is to document the microscopic examination of excised tissue specimens, including biopsies, where the physician evaluates the structure and abnormalities present in the cells. The other choices refer to laboratory tests or panels that involve analyzing bodily fluids or blood but do not pertain to the examination of tissue samples. For instance, a protime test measures the time it takes for blood to clot, while a lipid panel assesses lipid levels in the blood, and a TSH test evaluates thyroid-stimulating hormone levels. None of these procedures involve the pathological examination of a tissue sample, which is why they would not be associated with the code 88305.