Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Practice Test

In this scenario, the correct choice involves understanding both the procedure code for the chest x-ray and the appropriate diagnosis code for the patient's symptoms. A chest x-ray can serve various purposes, including the assessment of conditions related to the chest, such as shortness of breath.

The choice specifies a chest x-ray code of 71020, which refers to a chest x-ray that is performed for a more extensive evaluation, likely including multiple views. The second part indicates the diagnosis, which needs to accurately reflect the patient's condition at the time of the x-ray. In this situation, the patient is experiencing shortness of breath, represented by the diagnosis code 786.05, which specifically denotes "shortness of breath."

Combining these elements, the code for the chest x-ray (71020) reflects the test undertaken and the diagnosis code (786.05) connects directly to the patient's symptoms. This information is critical in conjunction with the context provided that the x-ray resulted inconclusive, as the diagnosis facilitates understanding the reason behind the imaging request.

When examining other options, it becomes clear that some contain incorrect codes for the procedure or inappropriate diagnosis codes, which do not align with the clinical picture presented. Choosing the right procedure code alongside an accurate representative diagnosis