2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S14.3XXAInjury of brachial plexus, initial encounter
S14.3XXA is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for injury of brachial plexus, initial encounter. The 7th character A marks it as an initial encounter code, used while the patient is receiving active treatment. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 963 through 965. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Injury to nerves, muscles and tendons, initial encounter.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Brachial plexopathy of left upper limb
- Brachial plexopathy of right upper limb
- Closed injury, brachial plexus, all roots
- Closed injury, brachial plexus, lower roots
- Closed injury, brachial plexus, upper roots
- Crutch paralysis
- Injury of brachial plexus
- Injury of brachial plexus cord
- Injury of brachial plexus division
- Injury of brachial plexus of left upper limb
- Injury of brachial plexus of right upper limb
- Injury of brachial plexus trunk
- Open injury, brachial plexus, all roots
- Open injury, brachial plexus, lower roots
- Open injury, brachial plexus, upper roots
- Traction injury of brachial plexus
- Traction injury of peripheral nerve
- Upper brachial plexus neuropathy
Coding GuidelinesGuidance
The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Injury of nerves and spinal cord at neck level (S14). Use the following options for the applicable episode of care:
- A - initial encounter
- D - subsequent encounter
- S - sequela
Source: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY 2026, published by CMS and the National Center for Health Statistics.
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Brachial Plexus Injuries
The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that sends signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Damage to the brachial plexus can cause symptoms such as:
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert S14.3XXA to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About S14.3XXAOverview
Is S14.3XXA (Injury of brachial plexus) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report injury of brachial plexus, initial encounter on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What does the 7th character A in S14.3XXA mean?
The final character A marks the initial encounter: use it while the patient is receiving active treatment for injury of brachial plexus, such as an emergency visit or first evaluation.
What MS-DRG does S14.3XXA group to?
When injury of brachial plexus, initial encounter is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 963, 964, 965, with relative weights from 0.9405 to 2.7338 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of S14.3XXA?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, injury of brachial plexus, initial encounter converts to ICD-9-CM 953.4 (brachial plexus injury). 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.
