2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Q73.0

Congenital absence of unspecified limb(s)

ICD-10-CM Code:
Q73.0
ICD-10 Code for:
Congenital absence of unspecified limb(s)
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Chronic
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities
    (Q00-Q99)
    • Congenital malformations and deformations of the musculoskeletal system
      (Q65-Q79)
      • Reduction defects of unspecified limb
        (Q73)

Q73.0 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of congenital absence of unspecified limb(s). The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024. The code is exempt from present on admission (POA) reporting for inpatient admissions to general acute care hospitals.

Unspecified diagnosis codes like Q73.0 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.

Approximate Synonyms

The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code:

  • Autosomal recessive amelia
  • Congenital complete absence of bilateral upper limbs
  • Congenital complete absence of left upper limb
  • Congenital complete absence of limb
  • Congenital complete absence of right upper limb
  • Congenital complete absence of upper limb
  • Partial congenital absence of limb

Clinical Classification

Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries

The following annotation back-references are applicable to this diagnosis code. The Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries is a list of ICD-10-CM codes, organized "head to toe" into chapters and sections with coding notes and guidance for inclusions, exclusions, descriptions and more.


Inclusion Terms

Inclusion Terms
These terms are the conditions for which that code is to be used. The terms may be synonyms of the code title, or, in the case of "other specified" codes, the terms are a list of the various conditions assigned to that code. The inclusion terms are not necessarily exhaustive. Additional terms found only in the Alphabetic Index may also be assigned to a code.
  • Amelia NOS

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Present on Admission (POA)

Q73.0 is exempt from POA reporting - The Present on Admission (POA) indicator is used for diagnosis codes included in claims involving inpatient admissions to general acute care hospitals. POA indicators must be reported to CMS on each claim to facilitate the grouping of diagnoses codes into the proper Diagnostic Related Groups (DRG). CMS publishes a listing of specific diagnosis codes that are exempt from the POA reporting requirement. Review other POA exempt codes here.

CMS POA Indicator Options and Definitions

POA IndicatorReason for CodeCMS will pay the CC/MCC DRG?
YDiagnosis was present at time of inpatient admission.YES
NDiagnosis was not present at time of inpatient admission.NO
UDocumentation insufficient to determine if the condition was present at the time of inpatient admission.NO
WClinically undetermined - unable to clinically determine whether the condition was present at the time of inpatient admission.YES
1Unreported/Not used - Exempt from POA reporting. NO

Convert Q73.0 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 755.4 - Reduct deform limb NOS
    Approximate Flag - The approximate mapping means there is not an exact match between the ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes and the mapped code is not a precise representation of the original code.

Patient Education


Tetra-amelia syndrome

Tetra-amelia syndrome (sometimes known as TETAMS) is a very rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. ("Tetra" is the Greek word for "four," and "amelia" refers to the failure of an arm or leg to develop before birth.)  

This syndrome can also cause severe malformations of other parts of the body, including the nervous system, face, head, heart, skeleton, gastrointestinal system, urinary tract, and genitalia. The lungs are underdeveloped in many cases, which makes breathing difficult or impossible. Because children with tetra-amelia syndrome have such serious medical problems, most are stillborn or die shortly after birth. 

There are two forms of tetra-amelia syndrome that have been described, and while the features overlap, they are distinguished by their signs and symptoms and genetic cause. 

Tetra-amelia syndrome type 1 is typically characterized by severe gastrointestinal problems. These problems include an opening in the abdomen through which various abdominal organs can protrude (abdominal wall defect), abnormalities in the muscle (diaphragm) that separates the organs in the abdomen from those in the chest, and lack of an anal opening (imperforate anus). People with type 1 also tend to have frequent urinary tract problems, such as a lack of kidney development (renal agenesis). 

Tetra-amelia syndrome type 2 is usually characterized by complete absence of both lungs. Affected individuals often have heart abnormalities, such as defects in the walls between the chambers of the heart (septal defects) or absence of the mitral valve, which connects the two left chambers of the heart. People with type 2 can also have facial abnormalities that include partial or complete fusion of the upper and lower eyelids, the bottom of the tongue attached to the floor of the mouth, or a small lower jaw (micrognathia).



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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.

Footnotes

[1] Chronic - a chronic condition code indicates a condition lasting 12 months or longer and its effect on the patient based on one or both of the following criteria:

  • The condition results in the need for ongoing intervention with medical products,treatment, services, and special equipment
  • The condition places limitations on self-care, independent living, and social interactions.