2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S38Crushing injury and traumatic amputation of abdomen, lower back, pelvis and external genitals

ICD-10-CM Codes›S00–T88›S30-S39›S38

ICD-10-CM S38
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

S38 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code for crushing injury and traumatic amputation of abdomen, lower back, pelvis and external genitals, so it cannot be submitted on claims. Use a more specific code from this category instead, such as S38.001A, S38.001D, S38.001S, and S38.002A.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
S38
Billable Status
No — Non-Billable Category
Code Describes
Crushing injury and traumatic amputation of abdomen, lower back, pelvis and external genitals
Short Description
Crush inj & traum amp of abd,low back, pelv & extrn genitals
Chapter
S30-S39
Injuries to the abdomen, lower back, lumbar spine, pelvis and external genitals

Code Classification

ChapterS00–T88Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
SectionS30-S39Injuries to the abdomen, lower back, lumbar spine, pelvis and external genitals
CategoryS38Crushing injury and traumatic amputation of abdomen, lower back, pelvis and external genitals
This CodeS38Crushing injury and traumatic amputation of abdomen, lower back, pelvis and external genitals

Specific Coding for Crush inj & traum amp of abd,low back, pelv & extrn genitalsOverview

Non-specific codes like S38 require more characters. Use one of these billable codes instead:

  • S38.0 for Crushing injury of external genital organs

  • S38.00 for Crushing injury of unspecified external genital organs

  • S38.01 for Crushing injury of penis

  • S38.02 for Crushing injury of scrotum and testis

  • S38.03 for Crushing injury of vulva

  • S38.1 for Crushing injury of abdomen, lower back, and pelvis

  • S38.2 for Traumatic amputation of external genital organs

  • S38.21 for Traumatic amputation of female external genital organs

  • S38.22 for Traumatic amputation of penis

  • S38.23 for Traumatic amputation of scrotum and testis

  • S38.3 for Transection (partial) of abdomen

Coding GuidelinesGuidance

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Crushing injury and traumatic amputation of abdomen, lower back, pelvis and external genitals (S38). 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 S38: its own notes plus those printed at block S30-S39 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 S30-S39 Injuries to the abdomen, lower back, lumbar spine, pelvis and external genitals applies to 2,679 codes
  • injuries to the abdominal wall
  • injuries to the anus
  • injuries to the buttock
  • injuries to the external genitalia
  • injuries to the flank
  • injuries to the groin

Applicable To

Conditions this code is used for: synonyms of the title or, for "other specified" codes, the conditions assigned to it. The list is not exhaustive.

  • An amputation not identified as partial or complete should be coded to complete

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 S30-S39 Injuries to the abdomen, lower back, lumbar spine, pelvis and external genitals applies to 2,679 codes
  • burns and corrosions (T20-T32)
  • effects of foreign body in anus and rectum (T18.5)
  • effects of foreign body in genitourinary tract (T19.-)
  • effects of foreign body in stomach, small intestine and colon (T18.2-T18.4)
  • 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.-)

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.

  • The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S38
Values for category S38 Encounter: Initial, Subsequent, Sequela
  • Ainitial encounter
  • Dsubsequent encounter
  • Ssequela

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

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

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 S38Overview

Is S38 a billable code?

No. This is a category header that groups the codes for crushing injury and traumatic amputation of abdomen, lower back, pelvis and external genitals, and headers cannot be submitted on claims. Claims for crushing injury and traumatic amputation of abdomen, lower back, pelvis and external genitals need a more specific code from this category, such as S38.001A, S38.001D, and S38.001S.