2025 ICD-10-CM code T69
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Deletion Date: N/A Injury - Other and unspecified effects of external causes (T66-T78) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88) Feed
Other effects of reduced temperature.Use additional codes to specify the source of exposure (e.g., exposure to excessive cold of man-made origin, exposure to excessive cold of natural origin).
Modifiers are not applicable to ICD-10 codes.
Medical necessity for treatment of conditions coded as T69 hinges on the severity of the patient's symptoms and potential complications.Conditions resulting in significant hypothermia or other systemic complications would generally meet medical necessity criteria.Documentation should justify the medical necessity of tests, treatments, and hospitalization based on the patient's clinical condition.
The clinical responsibility for this code lies with the physician who diagnoses and manages the patient's condition resulting from reduced temperature exposure. This includes appropriate history taking, physical examination, ordering of investigations as necessary, and administration of supportive care.
- Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- T69: Other effects of reduced temperature;Further specifications may include immersion hand and foot, etc.
In simple words: This code is for health problems caused by being too cold, but not including frostbite (frozen body parts).The doctor will use extra codes to say what caused the cold exposure, like being outside in freezing weather or near something man-made that is very cold.
This ICD-10-CM code classifies other effects resulting from exposure to reduced temperatures, excluding frostbite.It encompasses a range of conditions not specifically categorized under frostbite (T33-T34).Additional codes should be used to indicate the source of the exposure, such as exposure to excessive cold of man-made origin (W93) or exposure to excessive cold of natural origin (X31). The code may include conditions like hypothermia without specific frostbite manifestations.
Example 1: A patient presents to the emergency department after prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures while hiking. They exhibit symptoms of hypothermia (shivering, confusion, slowed heart rate), but no visible frostbite. Code T69 is used along with a code from Chapter 20 to indicate the cause of the exposure (X31)., A construction worker is involved in an incident where they fall into a freezing water tank. Upon evaluation, they show signs of hypothermia with characteristic immersion foot, but without any areas of tissue necrosis.Code T69.02 (Immersion foot) would be used along with a code from Chapter 20 specifying the event (W00-W19)., A patient is found unconscious outside during a winter storm.They are diagnosed with hypothermia and general cold exposure without frostbite.The physician documents the condition and uses code T69. Additional codes from Chapter 20 (X31) would be used to explain the environmental cause of hypothermia.
Detailed documentation should include a comprehensive history of the exposure, including duration and environmental factors.A physical examination should note the patient's vital signs, neurological status, and any other relevant findings.Laboratory tests (e.g., complete blood count, blood chemistries, arterial blood gases) may be necessary.The source of exposure must be clearly documented for accurate coding.
** T69 is a broad code, and it's crucial to use additional codes to precisely reflect the patient's clinical presentation and the circumstances of the cold exposure.The severity of the patient's condition will influence the level of care provided and the associated billing.
- Revenue Code: Revenue codes will vary depending on the specific services provided and the healthcare facility's coding system.
- RVU: RVUs are not directly associated with ICD-10 codes.RVUs are used for procedural codes (CPT, HCPCS) to determine reimbursement.
- Global Days: Not applicable to ICD-10 diagnosis codes.
- Payment Status: Active
- Modifier TC rule: Not applicable to ICD-10 codes.
- Fee Schedule: Not applicable to ICD-10 codes.
- Specialties:Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine
- Place of Service:Emergency Room - Hospital, Office, Inpatient Hospital