2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z48.00Encounter for change or removal of nonsurgical wound dressing
Z48.00 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for encounter for change or removal of nonsurgical wound dressing. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). The code is not accepted as a principal diagnosis by the Medicare Code Editor and exempt from POA reporting. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Other aftercare encounter.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Code EditsBilling
Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for Z48.00.
Present on Admission (POA)Billing
Z48.00 is exempt from POA reporting on inpatient claims to general acute care hospitals. Review other POA exempt codes.
Tabular List NotesGuidance
Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.
Inclusion Terms
- Encounter for change or removal of wound dressing NOS
These terms are the conditions for which that code is to be used. The terms may be synonyms of the code title, or, in the case of "other specified" codes, the terms are a list of the various conditions assigned to that code. The inclusion terms are not necessarily exhaustive. Additional terms found only in the Alphabetic Index may also be assigned to a code.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
- Admission (for) - See Also: Encounter (for);
- dressing (nonsurgical) - Z48.00
- dressing (nonsurgical) - Z48.00
- Aftercare - See Also: Care; - Z51.89
- following surgery (for) (on)
- dressings (nonsurgical) - Z48.00
- dressings (nonsurgical) - Z48.00
- Change (s) (in) (of) - See Also: Removal;
- dressing (nonsurgical) - Z48.00
- dressing (nonsurgical) - Z48.00
External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance
References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.
- Admission(for)
- change of
- dressing (nonsurgical)
- Admission(for)
- removal of
- dressing (nonsurgical)
- Aftercare
- following surgery (for) (on)
- attention to
- dressings (nonsurgical)
- Aftercare
- involving
- removal of
- dressings (nonsurgical)
- Change(s) (in) (of)
- dressing (nonsurgical)
- Removal(from) (of)
- dressing (nonsurgical)
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
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 Z48.00 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About Z48.00Overview
Is Z48.00 (Encounter for attention to dressings, sutures and drains) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report encounter for change or removal of nonsurgical wound dressing on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
Can Z48.00 be a principal diagnosis?
No. The Medicare Code Editor rejects this code as a principal diagnosis because encounter for change or removal of nonsurgical wound dressing describes a circumstance that influences health status rather than a current illness. Report it as a secondary diagnosis.
Is Z48.00 exempt from POA reporting?
Yes. CMS lists this code among those exempt from present on admission reporting, so hospitals do not assign a POA indicator for encounter for change or removal of nonsurgical wound dressing on inpatient claims.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of Z48.00?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, encounter for change or removal of nonsurgical wound dressing converts to ICD-9-CM V58.30 (attn rem nonsurg dressng). The mapping is a direct match.
