In simple words: An intentional act of self-harm was inflicted using an air gun, BB gun or pellet gun.This code describes the cause of the injury, not the injury itself.

Intentional self-harm by airgun. Intentional self-harm by BB gun discharge. Intentional self-harm by pellet gun discharge.

Example 1: A patient presents to the emergency room with a superficial wound to their lower leg after intentionally shooting themselves with a BB gun. The injury is treated.Code X74.01 is used as a secondary code to describe the cause of the injury., A teenager is brought to the hospital by their parents after attempting suicide by shooting themself in the abdomen with a pellet gun. The patient requires surgery to remove the pellet and repair internal damage. Code X74.01 is used as a secondary code to capture the cause of injury., A patient is found unconscious with an air gun by their side. They have suffered a serious head injury. Upon examination, the injury is deemed to be intentionally self-inflicted. The patient is admitted to the ICU.Code X74.01 is listed as secondary diagnosis indicating the circumstances that led to the injury.

Documentation should clearly state the intent of self-harm and the mechanism used (airgun, BB gun, pellet gun). The nature and extent of injuries sustained should also be detailed.

** This code describes the cause of injury/illness and not the diagnosis or nature of injury. It is important to add additional codes to identify the injury or illness caused by this external cause. As of today (November 30, 2024), this information is current, but it could be subject to change with updates to the ICD-10-CM coding system.