2025 ICD-10-CM code X38
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Deletion Date: N/A External causes of morbidity - Exposure to forces of nature (X30-X39) Chapter 20: External causes of morbidity (V00-Y99) Feed
Flood, encompassing various causes like remote storms, melting snow, or direct storm impact.
Modifiers might be applicable depending on the circumstances of the encounter and the services provided. Consult the official modifier guidelines.
Medical necessity is established by the diagnosis and treatment of the injuries or illnesses resulting from the flood.The severity of the condition and the need for medical intervention would justify the use of this code.
The clinical responsibility depends on the nature of the injuries or illnesses sustained during the flood.Physicians, emergency medical services, and other healthcare providers would be involved in assessing and treating these conditions. The specific physician specialties involved would depend upon the nature and severity of injuries sustained.
- Chapter 20: External causes of morbidity (V00-Y99)
- Accidents (V00-X58) > Other external causes of accidental injury (W00-X58) > Exposure to forces of nature (X30-X39)
In simple words: This code is for injuries or illnesses caused by a flood.It's added to the main code describing the injury or illness to explain how it happened.
This code classifies injuries or health conditions resulting from a flood, regardless of the specific cause (e.g., remote storm, melting snow, direct storm impact).It should be used as a secondary code in conjunction with a code from another chapter (most often Chapter 19) specifying the nature of the injury or condition.Excludes collapse of dams or man-made structures causing earth movement (X36.0) and tidal waves not otherwise specified (NOS) or those caused by storms (X37.41, X37.42).
Example 1: A patient presents to the emergency department with hypothermia and lacerations after being rescued from a flooded home.ICD-10 codes for hypothermia and lacerations would be the primary diagnoses, with X38 as a secondary code to indicate the cause., A patient is admitted to the hospital with pneumonia after being exposed to floodwater. The primary diagnosis would be pneumonia, with X38 listed as a secondary code specifying the cause of the illness., A patient sustains multiple fractures and traumatic brain injury in a car accident during a severe flood. The primary codes would represent the fractures and brain injury. Code X38 would specify the flood as a contributing factor to the accident.
Documentation should include details of the flood event (e.g., date, location, severity), the patient's involvement, the specific injuries or illnesses sustained, and the treatment provided.Thorough documentation is crucial for accurate coding and billing.
** While there is no national mandate to report external cause codes, many payers or state regulations may require this information. Providers should check with their local and state health departments and their payers for specific coding guidelines.The appropriate 7th character (A, D, or S) must be added to the code based on the encounter.
- Payment Status: Active
- Modifier TC rule: The use of a Technical Component (TC) modifier would depend upon the specific procedures performed and must conform to local and national coding guidelines.It is not applicable to the code itself.
- Specialties:Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Orthopedics, and other specialties depending on the nature of the injuries sustained.
- Place of Service:Emergency Room - Hospital, Inpatient Hospital, Office, Outpatient Hospital, Urgent Care Facility, other locations depending on the setting where care was delivered