2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S04.019A

Injury of optic nerve, unspecified eye, initial encounter

ICD-10-CM Code:
S04.019A
ICD-10 Code for:
Injury of optic nerve, unspecified eye, initial encounter
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Not chronic
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
    (S00–T88)
    • Injuries to the head
      (S00-S09)
      • Injury of cranial nerve
        (S04)

S04.019A is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of injury of optic nerve, unspecified eye, initial encounter. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024.

S04.019A is an initial encounter code, includes a 7th character and should be used while the patient is receiving active treatment for a condition like injury of optic nerve unspecified eye. According to ICD-10-CM Guidelines an "initial encounter" doesn't necessarily means "initial visit". The 7th character should be used when the patient is undergoing active treatment regardless if new or different providers saw the patient over the course of a treatment. The appropriate 7th character codes should also be used even if the patient delayed seeking treatment for a condition.

Unspecified diagnosis codes like S04.019A 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:

  • Avulsion of cranial nerve
  • Avulsion of optic nerve
  • Optic nerve and pathway injury
  • Radiation damage to optic nerve
  • Traumatic optic nerve injury
  • Traumatic optic nerve injury
  • Traumatic optic nerve injury

Clinical Classification

Coding Guidelines

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Injury of cranial nerve (S04). Use the following options for the aplicable episode of care:

  • A - initial encounter
  • D - subsequent encounter
  • S - sequela

Code Edits

The Medicare Code Editor (MCE) detects and reports errors in the coding of claims data. The following ICD-10-CM Code Edits are applicable to this code:

  • Unspecified codes - Unspecified codes exist in the ICD-10-CM classification for circumstances when documentation in the medical record does not provide the level of detail needed to support reporting a more specific code. However, in the inpatient setting, there should generally be very limited and rare circumstances for which the laterality (right, left, bilateral) of a condition is unable to be documented and reported. The following pages contain the list of unspecified ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes for which there is a more specific code to identify laterality (right, left, bilateral) within that code family.

Convert S04.019A to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 950.0 - Optic nerve injury
    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


Optic Nerve Disorders

The optic nerve is a bundle of more than 1 million nerve fibers that carry visual messages. You have one connecting the back of each eye (your retina) to your brain. Damage to an optic nerve can cause vision loss. The type of vision loss and how severe it is depends on where the damage occurs. It may affect one or both eyes.

There are many different types of optic nerve disorders, including:

  • Glaucoma is a group of diseases that are the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Glaucoma usually happens when the fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises and damages the optic nerve.
  • Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve. Causes include infections and immune-related illnesses such as multiple sclerosis. Sometimes the cause is unknown.
  • Optic nerve atrophy is damage to the optic nerve. Causes include poor blood flow to the eye, disease, trauma, or exposure to toxic substances.
  • Optic nerve head drusen are pockets of protein and calcium salts that build up in the optic nerve over time

Contact your health care provider if you are having vision problems. Tests for optic nerve disorders may include eye exams, ophthalmoscopy (an examination of the back of your eye), and imaging tests. Treatment depends on which disorder that you have. With some optic nerve disorders, you may get your vision back. With others, there is no treatment, or treatment may only prevent further vision loss.


[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.

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.