2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S51.842APuncture wound with foreign body of left forearm, initial encounter
S51.842A is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for puncture wound with foreign body of left forearm, 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 913 through 914, 963 through 965. Coders also document this condition as foreign body in left forearm. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Open wounds to limbs, initial encounter.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Foreign body in left forearm
- Puncture wound of forearm
- Puncture wound of forearm with foreign body
- Puncture wound of left forearm
- Puncture wound of left forearm with foreign body
Coding GuidelinesGuidance
The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Open wound of elbow and forearm (S51). 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 S51.842A: its own notes plus those printed at S51.8, S51, block S50-S59, and Chapter 19. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
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.
Use Additional Code
Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.
- 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.
- any associated wound infection
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- 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 S51
- 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 S51.842A, its category, or a range that includes it.
Excludes1 1
These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming S51.842A: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Code Also 3
These codes say S51.842A may also be needed to fully describe the condition. The note gives no sequencing direction.
- S54 Injury of nerves at forearm levelany associated open wound (S51.-) names S51.-, which includes this code
- S55 Injury of blood vessels at forearm levelany associated open wound (S51.-) names S51.-, which includes this code
- S56 Injury of muscle, fascia and tendon at forearm levelany associated open wound (S51.-) names S51.-, which includes this code
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Foreign Bodies
If you've ever gotten a splinter or had sand in your eye, you've had experience with a foreign body. A foreign body is something that is stuck inside you but isn't supposed to be there. You may inhale or swallow a foreign body, or you may get one from an injury to almost any part of your body.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert S51.842A to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About S51.842AOverview
What is the ICD-10 code for puncture wound with foreign body of left forearm, initial encounter?
The ICD-10-CM code for puncture wound with foreign body of left forearm, initial encounter is S51.842A (sometimes written as S51842A). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is S51.842A (Puncture wound with foreign body of left forearm) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report puncture wound with foreign body of left forearm, initial encounter on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What does the 7th character A in S51.842A mean?
The final character A marks the initial encounter: use it while the patient is receiving active treatment for puncture wound with foreign body of left forearm, such as an emergency visit or first evaluation.
What MS-DRG does S51.842A group to?
When puncture wound with foreign body of left forearm, initial encounter is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 964, 965, 914, 913, 963, with relative weights from 0.9281 to 2.6361 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can S51.842A be reported with a code from S52?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at S51, which applies to S51.842A, lists "open fracture of elbow and forearm (S52.- with open fracture 7th character)". An Excludes1 note means the excluded code is never reported together with this one; the only exception is when the two conditions are unrelated to each other (Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
