ICD-10-CM Tabular Index · Chapter 4 · FY 2026 E40–E46
Malnutrition (E40-E46) ICD-10-CM
The E40–E46 section covers malnutrition with 9 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes, of which 8 are billable in fiscal year 2026. The section is organized into the 7 code ranges listed below.
✓ Built from the official CMS FY 2026 datasetEffective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026
7
Code Ranges
9
Diagnosis Codes
8
Billable Codes
E40–E46
Code Range
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.
A type 2 excludes note represents "Not included here". An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.
The info icon previews the code ranges inside each row and its instructional notations from the official Tabular List.
About the E40–E46 Code Range
ICD-10 codes E40 through E46 cover various types of malnutrition, including severe forms like Kwashiorkor and nutritional marasmus, as well as unspecified and milder protein-calorie malnutrition. These codes are used to classify conditions related to inadequate nutrition affecting body weight and development.
This range includes specific conditions such as E40 Kwashiorkor, a severe protein deficiency often called Kwashiorkor, and E41 Nutritional marasmus, which covers nutritional wasting seen in infancy through adolescence. E42 Marasmic kwashiorkor describes a combination of these severe malnutrition forms. Codes like E43 and E46 address unspecified severe and unspecified protein-calorie malnutrition, useful when detailed diagnosis is unavailable. Milder cases are coded under E44, which breaks down into moderate (E44.0) and mild (E44.1) protein-calorie malnutrition. Additionally, E45 captures developmental delays and sequelae due to protein-calorie malnutrition, linking the nutritional deficiency to long-term physical and cognitive growth issues. These codes help healthcare professionals document and manage malnutrition-related health problems accurately.
Questions About This Page
How many codes are in the E40-E46 range?
The E40-E46 range contains 9 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes in FY 2026. 8 of them are billable, and the rest are category headers that organize the section.
What conditions does E40-E46 cover?
The range covers malnutrition. The code ranges listed above break it into groups of related conditions, and each one links to its own page with the full code list.
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.
Severe malnutrition with nutritional edema with dyspigmentation of skin and hair
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.
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.
Severe malnutrition with marasmus
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.
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.
Intermediate form severe protein-calorie malnutrition
Severe protein-calorie malnutrition with signs of both kwashiorkor and marasmus
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.
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.
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.
Malnutrition NOS
Protein-calorie imbalance NOS
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.
