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E013
E013 – Emergency relief of acute upper airway obstruction - anaesthesia
OHIP Surgical Assists Code · Schedule of Benefits
Anaesthetic management required for the emergency relief of acute upper airway (above the carina) obstruction (excluding choanal atresia).
When to Use
- Use E013C when managing an emergency tracheostomy or cricothyroidotomy for acute upper airway obstruction caused by severe angioedema or anaphylaxis.
- Apply this code during the emergency intubation and anaesthetic management of a patient with a rapidly expanding neck hematoma post-thyroidectomy.
- Select E013C for the anaesthetic management of a patient presenting with an acute foreign body obstruction located above the carina requiring urgent surgical intervention.
Common Pitfalls
- Billing E013C in conjunction with the standard procedural anaesthesia 'C' suffix code for the same session, which will trigger an automatic rejection.
- Failing to recognize that E013C replaces the basic units of the procedure; billing the procedure's original basic units in addition to E013C constitutes a duplicate claim.
- Applying E013C for elective airway management or routine difficult intubations that do not meet the strict definition of 'acute emergency relief'.
Billing Tips
- Ensure you append the appropriate ASA E emergency modifier (E020C) to the claim to capture the emergency status of the surgery in addition to the E013C basic unit replacement.
- Always verify that the clinical documentation explicitly describes the obstruction as 'acute' and 'above the carina' to withstand potential post-payment audits.
Provider Fee$0.00
Anaesthetist Fee$15.96
Non-Anaesthetist Fee$15.96
Effective: April 1, 2026
Service Type
Anaesthesia
Code Classes
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