2025 ICD-10-CM code T23.1
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Deletion Date: N/A Injury - Burns and corrosions of external body surface, specified by site (T20-T25) Chapter 19: Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88) Feed
First-degree burn of the wrist and hand.
Modifiers may be applicable depending on the circumstances of the encounter and the services provided.Consult the appropriate payer's guidelines for details.
Medical necessity for treatment of a burn is based on the severity of the injury and the need for medical intervention to manage pain, prevent infection, and promote healing. First-degree burns may only require basic first-aid treatment, while more extensive or complicated burns will require significant medical care.
The clinical responsibility for coding T23.1 rests with the physician or other qualified healthcare professional who examines and treats the patient. Accurate documentation is crucial for appropriate code assignment.
- Chapter 19: Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- T20-T32 (Burns and corrosions)
In simple words: This code describes a minor burn on the wrist or hand. The skin is red and may be painful, but the burn is only on the surface.
This code classifies a first-degree burn affecting the wrist and hand.A first-degree burn involves superficial damage to the epidermis (outer layer of skin), characterized by redness, pain, and mild swelling.It does not typically involve blistering or deeper tissue damage.Additional codes may be necessary to specify the extent of the burn (using codes from category T31 or T32) and to identify the external cause of the burn (using codes from Chapter 20, External causes of morbidity).
Example 1: A patient presents to the emergency department after accidentally spilling hot coffee on their hand. The physician documents a first-degree burn to the right wrist and hand.Code T23.101 would be appropriate, along with an additional code from Chapter 20 to specify the cause (e.g., a code for burns due to hot liquids)., During a cooking accident, a patient sustains a first-degree burn to their left hand from touching a hot pan. The physician confirms the extent of the burn as affecting approximately 5% of the body surface area (BSA).Code T23.1 would be used, along with a supplementary code from T31 to indicate the BSA involvement and Chapter 20 for specifying the accident as a cause., A patient working in a factory experiences a brief flash burn to their wrist from a malfunctioning machine. The burn is superficial, limited to the epidermis.T23.1 is coded, and codes from Chapter 20 are used to capture the industrial accident as an external cause.
Detailed medical records documenting the burn's location (wrist and hand), depth (first-degree), extent (percentage of body surface area affected if significant), and cause are necessary for accurate coding.Photographs or imaging may also be helpful.The physician's assessment, including the patient's symptoms and physical examination findings, must support the diagnosis.
** This code is for first-degree burns only.Higher-degree burns require different codes.Always ensure the code aligns with the documented clinical findings.
- Payment Status: Active
- Modifier TC rule: Not applicable to diagnosis codes.
- Specialties:Emergency Medicine, Surgery, Dermatology
- Place of Service:Office, Emergency Room - Hospital, Urgent Care Facility, Outpatient Hospital