Fall on and from stairs and steps (W10)
The W10 ICD-10 codes identify falls occurring on or from stairs and steps, including related locations such as escalators, sidewalk curbs, and inclines. These codes specify the accident’s exact setting and the timing of medical encounters, like initial treatment or follow-ups.
These codes cover incidents like falling on or off an escalator (W10.0), sidewalk curb (W10.1), incline (W10.2), and other stairs (W10.8). When the type of stairs isn’t specified, W10.9 is used; with synonyms like "fall from stairs" or "fall on steps" helping clarify coding. Each has extensions indicating if the encounter is initial (XXA), subsequent (XXD), or related to sequelae (XXS). These codes assist healthcare providers and coders in accurately documenting injuries from falls on stairs or steps, making the ICD-10 code for fall on and from stairs and steps essential for capturing the injury's cause and care timeline.
External causes of morbidity and mortality (V01–Y99)
Slipping, tripping, stumbling and falls (W00-W19)
W10 Fall on and from stairs and steps
W10.0 Fall (on)(from) escalator
- W10.0XXA Fall (on)(from) escalator, initial encounter
- W10.0XXD Fall (on)(from) escalator, subsequent encounter
- W10.0XXS Fall (on)(from) escalator, sequela
W10.1 Fall (on)(from) sidewalk curb
- W10.1XXA Fall (on)(from) sidewalk curb, initial encounter
- W10.1XXD Fall (on)(from) sidewalk curb, subsequent encounter
- W10.1XXS Fall (on)(from) sidewalk curb, sequela
W10.2 Fall (on)(from) incline
- W10.2XXA Fall (on)(from) incline, initial encounter
- W10.2XXD Fall (on)(from) incline, subsequent encounter
- W10.2XXS Fall (on)(from) incline, sequela
W10.8 Fall (on) (from) other stairs and steps
- W10.8XXA Fall (on) (from) other stairs and steps, initial encounter
- W10.8XXD Fall (on) (from) other stairs and steps, subsequent encounter
- W10.8XXS Fall (on) (from) other stairs and steps, sequela
W10.9 Fall (on) (from) unspecified stairs and steps
- W10.9XXA Fall (on) (from) unspecified stairs and steps, initial encounter
- W10.9XXD Fall (on) (from) unspecified stairs and steps, subsequent encounter
- W10.9XXS Fall (on) (from) unspecified stairs and steps, sequela
Fall on and from stairs and steps (W10)
Instructional Notations
Type 1 Excludes
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
- Fall from stairs and steps due to ice and snow W00.1
7th Character Note
Certain ICD-10-CM categories have applicable 7th characters. The applicable 7th character is required for all codes within the category, or as the notes in the Tabular List instruct. The 7th character must always be the 7th character in the data field. If a code that requires a 7th character is not 6 characters, a placeholder X must be used to fill in the empty characters.
- The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W10
7th Character
Indicates that a seventh character is to be assigned to codes in a subcategory.
- A - initial encounter
- D - subsequent encounter
- S - sequela
