2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S21.119ALaceration without foreign body of unspecified front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity, initial encounter

ICD-10-CM Codes›S00–T88›S20-S29›S21

ICD-10-CM S21.119A
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

S21.119A is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for laceration without foreign body of unspecified front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity, 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 604 through 605, 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 95 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 stab wound of chest. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Open wounds of trunk, initial encounter.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
S21.119A
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Laceration without foreign body of unspecified front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity, initial encounter
Short Description
Lac w/o fb of unsp frnt wl of thrx w/o penet thor cav, init
Parent Code
S21.119
Laceration without foreign body of unspecified front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity

Code Classification

ChapterS00–T88Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
SectionS20-S29Injuries to the thorax
CategoryS21Open wound of thorax
This CodeS21.119ALaceration without foreign body of unspecified front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity, initial encounter

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for S21.119A.

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.

  • Stab wound of chest

Coding GuidelinesGuidance

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Open wound of thorax (S21). 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.

CCSR INJ013
Open wounds of trunk, initial encounter
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Chest Injuries and Disorders

The chest is the part of your body between your neck and your abdomen (belly). The medical term for your chest is thorax.

The full article covers:

  • What is the chest?
  • What are chest injuries and disorders?
  • How are chest injuries and disorders diagnosed?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert S21.119A to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
875.0 Open wound of chest
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 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About S21.119AOverview

Is S21.119A a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report laceration without foreign body of unspecified front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity, initial encounter on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What does the 7th character A in S21.119A mean?

The final character A marks the initial encounter: use it while the patient is receiving active treatment for laceration without foreign body of unspecified front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity, such as an emergency visit or first evaluation.

What MS-DRG does S21.119A group to?

When laceration without foreign body of unspecified front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity, initial encounter is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 604, 605, 963, 964, 965, with relative weights from 0.9160 to 2.7338 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Is S21.119A a CC or MCC?

CMS lists S21.119A as a CC (complication or comorbidity) for FY 2026. 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 95 closely related codes in its exclusion list.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of S21.119A?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, laceration without foreign body of unspecified front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity, initial encounter converts to ICD-9-CM 875.0 (open wound of chest). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.