Version 2024

2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S09.8XXA

Other specified injuries of head, initial encounter

ICD-10-CM Code:: S09.8XXA
ICD-10 Code for:: Other specified injuries of head, initial encounter
Is Billable?: Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: ^[1]: Not chronic
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Code Information
Approximate Synonyms
Clinical Classification
Coding Guidelines
Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries
Convert to ICD-9 Code
Quality Payment Program Measures
Patient Education
Other Codes Used Similar Conditions
Code History

Code Classification

Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
(S00–T88)
- Injuries to the head
  (S00-S09)
  - Other and unspecified injuries of head
    (S09)

S09.8XXA is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of other specified injuries of head, initial encounter. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024.

S09.8XXA is an initial encounter code, includes a 7th character and should be used while the patient is receiving active treatment for a condition like other specified injuries of head. According to ICD-10-CM Guidelines an "initial encounter" doesn't necessarily means "initial visit". The 7th character should be used when the patient is undergoing active treatment regardless if new or different providers saw the patient over the course of a treatment. The appropriate 7th character codes should also be used even if the patient delayed seeking treatment for a condition.

The code is linked to some Quality Measures as part of Medicare's Quality Payment Program (QPP). When this code is used as part of a patient's medical record the following Quality Measures might apply: Emergency Medicine: Emergency Department Utilization Of Ct For Minor Blunt Head Trauma For Patients Aged 2 Through 17 Years.

Approximate Synonyms

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

Avulsion of cheek
Avulsion of floor of mouth
Avulsion of neck
Avulsion of soft palate
Avulsion of zygomatic region of cheek
Degloving injury of head
Degloving injury of head
Degloving injury of head and neck
Degloving injury of neck
Foreign body in bone
Foreign body in jaw bone
Foreign body in lip
Foreign body of musculoskeletal structure
Headache due to external compression of head
Injury of meniscus of temporomandibular joint
Injury of salivary duct
Intracranial hemorrhage co-occurrent and due to complex wound of head
Metal foreign body in cheek
Metal foreign body in head
Metal foreign body in lip
Peripheral nerve injury of head and neck
Radiation injury of eyelid
Splinter in face
Splinter of face, without major open wound
Transection of salivary duct
Wood splinter in head

Clinical Classification

Clinical Category is Other specified injury
CCSR Category Code: INJ026
Inpatient Default CCSR: Y - Yes, default inpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.
Outpatient Default CCSR: Y - Yes, default outpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.

Coding Guidelines

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Other and unspecified injuries of head (S09). Use the following options for the aplicable episode of care:

A - initial encounter
D - subsequent encounter
S - sequela

Convert S09.8XXA to ICD-9-CM

ICD-9-CM Code: 873.8 - Open wound of head 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.
ICD-9-CM Code: 873.9 - Open wnd head NEC-compl
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.
ICD-9-CM Code: 959.01 - Head injury NOS
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.

Quality Payment Program Measures

When code S09.8XXA is part of the patient's diagnoses the following Quality Measures apply and affect reimbursement. The objective of Medicare's Quality Measures is to improve patient care by making it more: effective, safe, efficient, patient-centered and equitable.

Quality Measure	Description	Quality Domain	Measure Type	High Priority	Submission Methods
Emergency Medicine: Emergency Department Utilization of CT for Minor Blunt Head Trauma for Patients Aged 2 Through 17 Years	Percentage of emergency department visits for patients aged 2 through 17 years who presented with a minor blunt head trauma who had a head CT for trauma ordered by an emergency care provider who are classified as low risk according to the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) prediction rules for traumatic brain injury.	Efficiency and Cost Reduction	Efficiency	YES	Claims, Registry

Patient Education

Head Injuries

Chances are you've bumped your head before. Often, the injury is minor because your skull is hard and it protects your brain. But other head injuries can be more severe, such as a skull fracture, concussion, or traumatic brain injury.

Head injuries can be open or closed. A closed injury does not break through the skull. With an open, or penetrating, injury, an object pierces the skull and enters the brain. Closed injuries are not always less severe than open injuries.

Some common causes of head injuries are falls, motor vehicle accidents, violence, and sports injuries.

It is important to know the warning signs of a moderate or severe head injury. Get help immediately if the injured person has:

A headache that gets worse or does not go away
Repeated vomiting or nausea
Convulsions or seizures
An inability to wake up
Dilated (enlarged) pupil in one or both eyes
Slurred speech
Weakness or numbness in the arms or legs
Loss of coordination
Increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation

Doctors use a neurologic exam and imaging tests to make a diagnosis. Treatment depends on the type of injury and how severe it is.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Other ICD-10-CM Codes Commonly Used for Similar Conditions

Filter related codes list:

S09 Other and unspecified injuries of head.
S09.0 Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified.
S09.0XXA Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified, initial encounter.
S09.0XXD Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified, subsequent encounter.
S09.0XXS Injury of blood vessels of head, not elsewhere classified, sequela.
S09.1 Injury of muscle and tendon of head.
S09.10 Unspecified injury of muscle and tendon of head.
S09.10XA Unspecified injury of muscle and tendon of head, initial encounter.
S09.10XD Unspecified injury of muscle and tendon of head, subsequent encounter.
S09.10XS Unspecified injury of muscle and tendon of head, sequela.
S09.11 Strain of muscle and tendon of head.
S09.11XA Strain of muscle and tendon of head, initial encounter.
S09.11XD Strain of muscle and tendon of head, subsequent encounter.
S09.11XS Strain of muscle and tendon of head, sequela.
S09.12 Laceration of muscle and tendon of head.
S09.12XA Laceration of muscle and tendon of head, initial encounter.
S09.12XD Laceration of muscle and tendon of head, subsequent encounter.
S09.12XS Laceration of muscle and tendon of head, sequela.
S09.19 Other specified injury of muscle and tendon of head.
S09.19XA Other specified injury of muscle and tendon of head, initial encounter.
S09.19XD Other specified injury of muscle and tendon of head, subsequent encounter.
S09.19XS Other specified injury of muscle and tendon of head, sequela.
S09.2 Traumatic rupture of ear drum.
S09.20 Traumatic rupture of unspecified ear drum.
S09.20XA Traumatic rupture of unspecified ear drum, initial encounter.
S09.20XD Traumatic rupture of unspecified ear drum, subsequent encounter.
S09.20XS Traumatic rupture of unspecified ear drum, sequela.
S09.21 Traumatic rupture of right ear drum.
S09.21XA Traumatic rupture of right ear drum, initial encounter.
S09.21XD Traumatic rupture of right ear drum, subsequent encounter.
S09.21XS Traumatic rupture of right ear drum, sequela.
S09.22 Traumatic rupture of left ear drum.
S09.22XA Traumatic rupture of left ear drum, initial encounter.
S09.22XD Traumatic rupture of left ear drum, subsequent encounter.
S09.22XS Traumatic rupture of left ear drum, sequela.
S09.3 Other specified and unspecified injury of middle and inner ear.
S09.30 Unspecified injury of middle and inner ear.
S09.301 Unspecified injury of right middle and inner ear.
S09.301A Unspecified injury of right middle and inner ear, initial encounter.
S09.301D Unspecified injury of right middle and inner ear, subsequent encounter.
S09.301S Unspecified injury of right middle and inner ear, sequela.
S09.302 Unspecified injury of left middle and inner ear.
S09.302A Unspecified injury of left middle and inner ear, initial encounter.
S09.302D Unspecified injury of left middle and inner ear, subsequent encounter.
S09.302S Unspecified injury of left middle and inner ear, sequela.
S09.309 Unspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear.
S09.309A Unspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, initial encounter.
S09.309D Unspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, subsequent encounter.
S09.309S Unspecified injury of unspecified middle and inner ear, sequela.
S09.31 Primary blast injury of ear.
S09.311 Primary blast injury of right ear.

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.