Don’t Let These ICD-10 Codes Spook You This Season
There’s a nip in the air, the leaves are changing color, the days are getting shorter. With fall already here, can the festive season be far behind? We kick off the party season each year with Halloween. It’s the time of year when hooligans pull out new tricks. Here’s a collection of ICD-10 codes to ensure you’re not caught off guard this spooky season.
R46.1 – Bizarre personal appearance
On October 31, masks, wigs, headgear, and face paint don’t raise an eyebrow. On any other day of the year, they could raise this code in a medical record.
Y93.D – Activities involving arts and handcrafts
Some people head to Party City, others make their own costumes. This Halloween, brace yourself for scissor cuts and hot glue burns.
W61.01 – Bitten by parrot
A pirate costume can seem uninspired, until someone decides to add a real parrot to it, resulting in an avian mishap.
Y04.1 – Assault by human bite
It’s all fun and games until a zombie or vampire gets carried away and decides to take a chomp.
T78.01 – Anaphylactic reaction due to peanuts
In all the excitement, a peanut allergy can be forgotten, and a giant bite of a Snickers bar can result in a trip to the ER.
W22.02 – Walked into lamppost
A terrifying mask is in the spirit of the season, but if the eye holes are too small, it can result in an unexpected bump into a lamppost.
A28.1 – Cat-scratch disease
If the homeowner’s cat is not the friendly type, trick-or-treaters may experience a feline encounter they didn’t bargain for.
W54.0 – Bitten by dog
Many qualities come naturally to dogs – loyalty, devotion, unqualified love, and the need to bite strangers.
W51.XXX – Accidental striking against or bumped into by another person
With candy-powered children running amuck, this code should come as no surprise at all.
F10.92 – Alcohol use, unspecified with intoxication
While the kids fill up on sugary sweetness, adults are known to celebrate with a drink or two.
W93.02 – Inhalation of dry ice
A smoky cauldron of punch adds to the atmosphere, but get too close and you’re in trouble.
R44.1 – Visual hallucinations
Halloween isn’t celebrated in all parts of the world, and to someone unfamiliar, it could look like they’re seeing things.
Z62.891 – Sibling rivalry
Who has the best costume? Who got the most candy? Halloween is rife with sibling jealousy rearing its ugly head.
W49.01 – Hair causing external constriction
That magnificent wig may have looked fantastic in the shop window, but go wrong with the sizing and you’ve got a problem.
X99.2 – Assault by sword or dagger
With the wrong props in the wrong hands, even an innocent-looking kid can inflict some serious damage.
K03.81 – Cracked tooth
Bite down too hard on a piece of nougat and your smile may never be the same again.
R10.84 – Generalized abdominal pain
The day after Halloween, unrestrained candy eating takes its toll on little tummies.
The ICD-10 code set has 68,000 codes, and there’s sure to be one for any antics your patients get up to. Happy Halloween!
