2025 ICD-10-CM code W88
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Deletion Date: N/A External causes of morbidity - Exposure to electric current, radiation and extreme ambient air temperature and pressure (W85-W99) Chapter 20: External causes of morbidity (V00-Y99) Feed
Exposure to ionizing radiation.This code excludes exposure to sunlight.
Modifiers may be applicable depending on the circumstances of the radiation exposure and the resulting condition.Consult the current coding guidelines for specific modifier usage.
Medical necessity is determined by the resulting condition from the radiation exposure. The appropriate code from Chapters 1-18 would describe the diagnosis and justify the medical necessity of the treatment provided. W88 is used to indicate the cause and should not independently determine medical necessity.
The clinical responsibility depends on the nature of the resulting condition and the specialty of the physician involved in managing the patient's treatment. This code only describes the external cause.
- Chapter 20: External causes of morbidity (V00-Y99)
- Accidents (V00-X58); Other external causes of accidental injury (W00-X58); Exposure to electric current, radiation and extreme ambient air temperature and pressure (W85-W99)
In simple words: This code means someone was exposed to a type of radiation that can harm cells.It's added to the main medical code to explain what caused the problem, not the problem itself. This does not include exposure to sunlight.
This ICD-10-CM code, W88, signifies exposure to ionizing radiation.It is used as a secondary code to provide additional information regarding the cause of an injury or other health condition.The code should be used in conjunction with a code from another chapter (Chapters 1-18) specifying the nature of the condition resulting from the radiation exposure.This code specifically excludes exposure to sunlight (X32).
Example 1: A patient presents to the emergency department after an accidental exposure to ionizing radiation during a work-related incident at a nuclear power plant. The patient exhibits symptoms of acute radiation sickness.W88 would be used in conjunction with codes describing the specific symptoms and severity of the radiation sickness., A patient undergoing radiotherapy for cancer experiences an adverse reaction to the radiation treatment, resulting in skin burns and fatigue.W88 would be used to indicate the cause of the adverse reaction, along with codes describing the burns and fatigue., A patient involved in a radiation accident at a research facility develops a specific type of cancer years later as a consequence of the radiation exposure.W88 would be used in conjunction with a cancer code, and possibly a late effect code, reflecting the delayed onset.
Detailed documentation is needed to support the use of W88, including the type and dose of radiation exposure, date, time, and location of exposure, circumstances of exposure, and the nature and extent of the resulting injury or condition. Supporting documentation from the facility where the exposure occurred may be necessary.
** W88 should be used cautiously and only when the documentation clearly supports exposure to ionizing radiation.The code does not encompass all forms of radiation exposure.Always ensure that the resulting condition is accurately coded using codes from other chapters in the ICD-10-CM.
- Payment Status: Active
- Specialties:Radiation Oncology, Occupational Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Emergency Medicine
- Place of Service:Emergency Room - Hospital, Office, Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital