2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S15.209AUnspecified injury of unspecified external jugular vein, initial encounter

ICD-10-CM Codes›S00–T88›S10-S19›S15

ICD-10-CM S15.209A
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

S15.209A is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified injury of unspecified external jugular vein, 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 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 791, 793, 913 through 914, 963 through 965. As a secondary diagnosis, it counts as a complication or comorbidity (CC) and moves an inpatient stay to a higher severity level within its MS-DRG family. It does not count, however, when the principal diagnosis is one of 31 closely related codes. The code is flagged as an unspecified code, since codes identifying laterality exist in the same family. Coders also document this condition as injury of external jugular vein. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Injury to blood vessels, initial encounter.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
S15.209A
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Unspecified injury of unspecified external jugular vein, initial encounter
Short Description
Unsp injury of unsp external jugular vein, init encntr
Parent Code
S15.209
Unspecified injury of unspecified external jugular vein

Code Classification

ChapterS00–T88Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
SectionS10-S19Injuries to the neck
CategoryS15Injury of blood vessels at neck level
This CodeS15.209AUnspecified injury of unspecified external jugular vein, initial encounter

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for S15.209A.

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.

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Injury of external jugular vein

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 2027, published by CMS and the National Center for Health Statistics.

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to S15.209A: its own notes plus those printed at S15, block S10-S19, and Chapter 19. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

Includes

Further defines, or gives examples of, the content of the category.

From Block S10-S19 Injuries to the neck applies to 1,074 codes
  • injuries of nape
  • injuries of supraclavicular region
  • injuries of throat

Excludes2

Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may be reported.

From Block S10-S19 Injuries to the neck applies to 1,074 codes
  • burns and corrosions (T20-T32)
  • effects of foreign body in esophagus (T18.1)
  • effects of foreign body in larynx (T17.3)
  • effects of foreign body in pharynx (T17.2)
  • effects of foreign body in trachea (T17.4)
  • frostbite (T33-T34)
  • insect bite or sting, venomous (T63.4)
From Chapter 19 (S00-T88) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes applies to 41,187 codes

Use Additional Code

Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.

From Chapter 19 (S00-T88) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes applies to 41,187 codes
  • code to identify any retained foreign body, if applicable (Z18.-)

Code Also

A second code may be needed to fully describe the condition; the note gives no sequencing direction.

From S15 Injury of blood vessels at neck level applies to 150 codes
  • any associated open wound (S11.-)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 19 (S00-T88) Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes applies to 41,187 codes
  • Use secondary code(s) from Chapter 20, External causes of morbidity, to indicate cause of injury. Codes within the T section that include the external cause do not require an additional external cause code
  • The chapter uses the S-section for coding different types of injuries related to single body regions and the T-section to cover injuries to unspecified body regions as well as poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes.

7th Character

Every code in the category takes a 7th character from the listed values, with the placeholder X filling any empty positions before it.

From S15 Injury of blood vessels at neck level applies to 150 codes
  • The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S15
Values for category S15 Encounter: Initial, Subsequent, Sequela
  • Ainitial encounter this code
  • Dsubsequent encounter
  • Ssequela

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name S15.209A, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 1

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming S15.209A: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • S09.0 Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified
    injury of precerebral blood vessels (S15.-) names S15.-, which includes this code

Use Additional Code 1

These codes say to use an additional code from the note, and S15.209A is one of the codes named.

  • S17 Crushing injury of neck
    injury of blood vessels (S15.-) names S15.-, which includes this code

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR INJ016
Injury to blood vessels, initial encounter
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

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.

Convert S15.209A to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
900.81 Inj extern jugular vein
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 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About S15.209AOverview

Is S15.209A (Unspecified injury of unspecified external jugular vein) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified injury of unspecified external jugular vein, initial encounter on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What does the 7th character A in S15.209A mean?

The final character A marks the initial encounter: use it while the patient is receiving active treatment for unspecified injury of unspecified external jugular vein, such as an emergency visit or first evaluation.

What MS-DRG does S15.209A group to?

When unspecified injury of unspecified external jugular vein, initial encounter is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 793, 791, 964, 965, 914, 913, 963, with relative weights from 0.9281 to 4.2192 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Is S15.209A a CC or MCC?

CMS lists S15.209A as a CC (complication or comorbidity) for FY 2027. Reported as a secondary diagnosis, it moves the inpatient stay to a higher-weighted DRG within its severity family. It does not count when the principal diagnosis is one of the 31 closely related codes in its exclusion list.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of S15.209A?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified injury of unspecified external jugular vein, initial encounter converts to ICD-9-CM 900.81 (inj extern jugular vein). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.