2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S15Injury of blood vessels at neck level
S15 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code for injury of blood vessels at neck level, so it cannot be submitted on claims. Use a more specific code from this category instead, such as S15.001A, S15.001D, S15.001S, and S15.002A.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Specific Coding for Injury of blood vessels at neck levelOverview
Non-specific codes like S15 require more characters. Use one of these billable codes instead:
S15.0 for Injury of carotid artery of neck
S15.00 for Unspecified injury of carotid artery
S15.01 for Minor laceration of carotid artery
S15.02 for Major laceration of carotid artery
S15.09 for Other specified injury of carotid artery
S15.1 for Injury of vertebral artery
S15.10 for Unspecified injury of vertebral artery
S15.11 for Minor laceration of vertebral artery
S15.12 for Major laceration of vertebral artery
S15.19 for Other specified injury of vertebral artery
S15.2 for Injury of external jugular vein
S15.20 for Unspecified injury of external jugular vein
S15.21 for Minor laceration of external jugular vein
S15.22 for Major laceration of external jugular vein
S15.29 for Other specified injury of external jugular vein
S15.3 for Injury of internal jugular vein
S15.30 for Unspecified injury of internal jugular vein
S15.31 for Minor laceration of internal jugular vein
S15.32 for Major laceration of internal jugular vein
S15.39 for Other specified injury of internal jugular vein
S15.8 for Injury of other specified blood vessels at neck level
S15.9 for Injury of unspecified blood vessel at neck level
Coding GuidelinesGuidance
The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Injury of blood vessels at neck level (S15). 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.
Tabular List NotesGuidance
Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.
Code Also
- any associated open wound S11
7th Character Note
- The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S15
7th Character
- A - initial encounter
- D - subsequent encounter
- S - sequela
A "code also" note instructs that two codes may be required to fully describe a condition, but this note does not provide sequencing direction.
Certain ICD-10-CM categories have applicable 7th characters. The applicable 7th character is required for all codes within the category, or as the notes in the Tabular List instruct. The 7th character must always be the 7th character in the data field. If a code that requires a 7th character is not 6 characters, a placeholder X must be used to fill in the empty characters.
Indicates that a seventh character is to be assigned to codes in a subcategory.
Patient EducationClinical
Wounds and Injuries
An injury is damage to your body. It is a general term that refers to harm caused by accidents, falls, hits, weapons, and more. In the U.S., millions of people injure themselves every year. These injuries range from minor to life-threatening.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About S15Overview
Is S15 (Injury of blood vessels at neck level) a billable code?
No. This is a category header that groups the codes for injury of blood vessels at neck level, and headers cannot be submitted on claims. Claims for injury of blood vessels at neck level need a more specific code from this category, such as S15.001A, S15.001D, and S15.001S.
