2025 ICD-10-CM code X37.42
(Active) Effective Date: N/A External causes of morbidity - Exposure to forces of nature (X30-X39) 20 Feed
Tidal wave due to storm. This code describes the circumstance causing an injury, not the nature of the injury.
Modifiers such as the 7th character for injury status (A, D, S) apply to the primary injury code, not to X37.42.
The medical necessity for the services provided relates to the treatment of the injuries or conditions sustained as a result of the tidal wave.The use of X37.42 does not in itself determine medical necessity.
It is the clinician's responsibility to accurately document the circumstances surrounding the injury, including the causative event (tidal wave due to storm) and the resulting injury or condition. The clinician should select the appropriate primary code to describe the nature of the injury or condition and then use X37.42 as a secondary code.
- 20
- Accidents (V00-X58)Other external causes of accidental injury (W00-X58)Exposure to forces of nature (X30-X39)
In simple words: Exposure to a tidal wave caused by a storm.
Tidal wave due to storm. This code is used to classify environmental events and circumstances as the cause of injury and other adverse effects.It should be used as a secondary code to a code from another chapter indicating the nature of the condition, most often Chapter 19, Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88).
Example 1: A patient presents to the emergency room with a fractured femur after being swept away by a tidal wave during a hurricane. The primary code would be for the fractured femur (e.g., S72.90XA), and X37.42 would be the secondary code., A patient is treated for hypothermia after being rescued from the ocean following a tidal wave caused by a severe storm. The primary code would be for the hypothermia (e.g., T68.XXXA), and X37.42 would be the secondary code., A patient presents with multiple lacerations and contusions after being struck by debris carried by a tidal wave during a tropical storm. The primary code(s) would be for the specific injuries (e.g., S01.409A, S30.0XXA), and X37.42 would be the secondary code.
Documentation should clearly describe the circumstances of the injury, noting the presence of the tidal wave caused by the storm and the specific injuries sustained.
- Specialties:Emergency Medicine, Trauma Surgery, Internal Medicine
- Place of Service:Emergency Room - Hospital, Inpatient Hospital, Office