2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code O74.3Central nervous system complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery

ICD-10-CM Codes›O00-O9A›O60-O77›O74

ICD-10-CM O74.3
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

O74.3 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for central nervous system complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). The code is restricted by the Medicare Code Editor to maternity cases (age 9 through 64). Coders also document this condition as anoxia of brain. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Anesthesia complications during pregnancy and Complications specified during childbirth.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
O74.3
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Central nervous system complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery
Short Description
Cnsl complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery
Parent Code
O74
Complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery

Code Classification

ChapterO00-O9APregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium
SectionO60-O77Complications of labor and delivery
CategoryO74Complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery
This CodeO74.3Central nervous system complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for O74.3.

Maternity diagnoses
The Medicare Code Editor detects inconsistencies in maternity cases by checking a patient's age and any diagnosis on the patient's record. The maternity code edits apply to patients age ange is 9–64 years inclusive (e.g., diabetes in pregnancy, antepartum pulmonary complication).

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Anoxia of brain
  • Central nervous system complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery
  • Cerebral anoxia following anesthesia AND/OR sedation in labor AND/OR delivery
  • Complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery
  • Obstetric anesthesia with central nervous system complication in childbirth
  • Obstetric anesthesia with central nervous system complications
  • Obstetrical central nervous system complication of anesthesia AND/OR sedation
  • Obstetrical complication of anesthesia AND/OR sedation
  • Oxygen supply absent

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • Anoxia(pathological)
      • cerebral
        • complicating
          • anesthesia (general) (local) or other sedation
            • in labor and delivery
    • Complication(s) (from) (of)
      • anesthesia, anesthetic
        • central nervous system
          • in
            • labor and delivery
    • Complication(s) (from) (of)
      • sedation during labor and delivery
        • central nervous system

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR PRG025
Anesthesia complications during pregnancy
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes
CCSR PRG023
Complications specified during childbirth
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No

Patient EducationClinical

Anesthesia

Anesthesia is the use of medicines, called anesthetics, to prevent pain during surgery and other medical procedures. Medicine may be given by injection, inhalation, topical lotion, spray, eye drops, or a skin patch.

The full article covers:

  • What is anesthesia?
  • What is anesthesia used for?
  • What are the types of anesthesia?
  • What are the risks of anesthesia?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert O74.3 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
668.21 Cns compl lab/del-deliv
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.
ICD-9-CM
668.22 Cns complic-del w p/p
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About O74.3Overview

Is O74.3 (Complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report central nervous system complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Who can O74.3 be reported for?

The Medicare Code Editor checks central nervous system complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery against patient demographics: this code is intended for maternity cases (age 9 through 64). Claims outside these limits are flagged as inconsistent.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of O74.3?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, central nervous system complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery converts to ICD-9-CM 668.21 (cns compl lab/del-deliv) and 668.22 (cns complic-del w p/p). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.