2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code F18.988

Inhalant use, unspecified with other inhalant-induced disorder

ICD-10-CM Code:
F18.988
ICD-10 Code for:
Inhalant use, unsp with other inhalant-induced disorder
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Not chronic
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Mental and behavioural disorders
    (F01–F99)
    • Mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use
      (F10-F19)
      • Inhalant related disorders
        (F18)

F18.988 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of inhalant use, unspecified with other inhalant-induced disorder. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024.

Unspecified diagnosis codes like F18.988 are acceptable when clinical information is unknown or not available about a particular condition. Although a more specific code is preferable, unspecified codes should be used when such codes most accurately reflect what is known about a patient's condition. Specific diagnosis codes should not be used if not supported by the patient's medical record.

Approximate Synonyms

The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code:

  • Amnestic disorder caused by volatile solvent
  • Inhalant-induced organic mental disorder

Clinical Classification

Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries

The following annotation back-references are applicable to this diagnosis code. The Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries is a list of ICD-10-CM codes, organized "head to toe" into chapters and sections with coding notes and guidance for inclusions, exclusions, descriptions and more.


Inclusion Terms

Inclusion Terms
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.
  • Inhalant-induced mild neurocognitive disorder

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Convert F18.988 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 292.89 - Drug mental disorder NEC
    Approximate Flag - The approximate mapping means there is not an exact match between the ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes and the mapped code is not a precise representation of the original code.

Patient Education


Inhalants

What are inhalants?

Inhalants are substances that people inhale (breathe in) to get high. There are other substances that people might inhale, such as alcohol. But those are not called inhalants, because they can also be used another way. Inhalants are the substances that you can misuse only by inhaling them.

Using inhalants to try to get high, even once, can be very harmful to your brain and body. It can even lead to death.

What are the types of inhalants?

Inhalants are often products that are easily bought and can be found in the home or workplace. They contain dangerous substances that have psychoactive (mind-altering) properties when they are inhaled. There are four main types of inhalants are:

  • Solvents, which are liquids that become gas at room temperature. They include paint thinner, nail polish remover, gasoline, and glue.
  • Aerosol sprays, such as spray paint, deodorant spray, and vegetable oil sprays
  • Gases, including gas from lighters, whipped cream dispensers, and laughing gas
  • Nitrites (prescription medicines for chest pain)

Some of the common slang terms for various inhalants include:

  • Bold
  • Laughing gas
  • Poppers
  • Rush
  • Snappers
  • Whippets

How do people use inhalants?

People who use inhalants breathe in the fumes through their nose or mouth, usually by "sniffing," "snorting," "bagging," or "huffing." It's called different names depending on the substance and equipment used.

The high that inhalants produce usually lasts just a few minutes, so people often try to make it last by inhaling them again and again over several hours.

Who uses inhalants?

Inhalants are mostly used by young kids and teens. They often try inhalants before they try other substances because inhalants are easier to get.

What are the signs that someone is using inhalants?

Signs that someone is using inhalants include:

  • Chemical odors on breath or clothing
  • Paint or other stains on face, hands, or clothes
  • Hidden empty spray paint or solvent containers and chemical-soaked rags or clothing
  • Red or runny eyes or nose
  • Drunk or disoriented appearance
  • Slurred speech
  • Nausea or loss of appetite
  • Inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability, and depression

What are the health effects of using inhalants?

Most inhalants affect your central nervous system and slow down brain activity. Inhalants can cause both short-term and long-term health effects:

  • Short-term health effects include slurred or distorted speech, lack of coordination, euphoria (feeling "high"), dizziness, and hallucinations
  • Long-term health effects may include liver and kidney damage, loss of coordination, limb spasms, delayed behavioral development, and brain damage

Using inhalants, even once, could lead to an overdose. This can cause you to have seizures or your heart to stop. It can also be deadly.

Are inhalants addictive?

Addiction to inhalants is rare, but it can happen if you use them repeatedly. Stopping them can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, problems sleeping, and mood changes.

Behavioral therapy may help people who are addicted to inhalants.

Can inhalant misuse be prevented?

To try to prevent inhalant abuse, parents should talk to their children about it. They should discuss the dangers of inhalants and how to deal with peer pressure if someone asks them to try it.

NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.