2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code W74

Unspecified cause of accidental drowning and submersion

ICD-10-CM Code:
W74
ICD-10 Code for:
Unspecified cause of accidental drowning and submersion
Is Billable?
Not Valid for Submission
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • External causes of morbidity and mortality
    (V01–Y99)
    • Accidental non-transport drowning and submersion
      (W65-W74)
      • Unspecified cause of accidental drowning and submersion
        (W74)

W74 is a non-specific and non-billable diagnosis code code, consider using a code with a higher level of specificity for a diagnosis of unspecified cause of accidental drowning and submersion. The code is not specific and is NOT valid for the year 2024 for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions. Category or Header define the heading of a category of codes that may be further subdivided by the use of 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th characters.

Unspecified diagnosis codes like W74 are acceptable when clinical information is unknown or not available about a particular condition. Although a more specific code is preferable, unspecified codes should be used when such codes most accurately reflect what is known about a patient's condition. Specific diagnosis codes should not be used if not supported by the patient's medical record.

Index of External Cause of Injuries

References found for this diagnosis code in the External Cause of Injuries Index:

    • Drowning(accidental)

Patient Education


Drowning

People drown when they get too much water in their lungs. You can drown in as little as an inch or two of water. Babies can drown in a sink or bathtub. Preschoolers are most likely to drown in a swimming pool. People who have seizure disorders are also at risk in the water. Drowning can happen quickly and silently.

Drowning precautions should include:

  • Fences around pools
  • Supervising children near any body of water, including tubs
  • Not swimming or boating when under the influence of alcohol or sedatives
  • Wearing life jackets when boating
  • Learning CPR

[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.