Unspecified misadventure during surgical and medical care (Y69)

The ICD-10 code Y69 is used to document unspecified misadventures that occur during surgical or medical care. It covers unexpected harmful events to patients that are not clearly classified under more specific codes.

This code captures a range of medical accidents or serious reportable events that happen while a patient receives care, including complications related to products, devices, or care management. Synonyms such as "medical accident during surgical and medical care," or "serious reportable event" reflect its application for incidents like intravascular air embolism, hypoglycemia onset, or drug maladministration occurring under healthcare supervision. Coders referring to the ICD-10 code Y69 for “unspecified misadventure” can address various adverse outcomes, such as patient death, serious disability, or non-disabling harm, when the exact cause or type of medical accident is not otherwise specified. This code helps record and track unexpected problems arising during medical treatment when more precise coding is not possible.