31500 Insert emergency airway
Also known as: emergency airway, emergency intubation, tracheostomy
Emergency surgical establishment of an airway by inserting a tube or creating an opening into the trachea below the larynx when immediate access is required due to airway obstruction or loss of airway protection.
Clinical Context
Performed emergently in cases of acute airway obstruction (foreign body, severe angioedema, epiglottitis, trauma) when standard intubation cannot be rapidly achieved or is contraindicated.
RVU Breakdown
| Work RVU | 2.93 |
| Practice Expense RVU | 0.57 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.48 |
| Total RVU | 3.98 |
Est. Medicare Payment
National estimate based on 2026 CMS PFS Conversion Factor ($33.40). Actual payment varies by locality (GPCI adjustment).
Specialties
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CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. Data sourced from CMS Physician Fee Schedule RVU26A. Descriptions, synonyms, and clinical context are original content by RVU Edge.