ICD-9 Code E956

Suicide and self-inflicted injury by cutting and piercing instrument

Not Valid for Submission

E956 is a legacy non-billable code used to specify a medical diagnosis of suicide and self-inflicted injury by cutting and piercing instrument. This code was replaced on September 30, 2015 by its ICD-10 equivalent.

ICD-9: E956
Short Description:Injury-cut instrument
Long Description:Suicide and self-inflicted injury by cutting and piercing instrument

Convert E956 to ICD-10

The following crosswalk between ICD-9 to ICD-10 is based based on the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMS) information:

  • X78.9XXA - Intentional self-harm by unsp sharp object, init encntr

Code Classification

  • External causes of injury (V)
    • Suicide and self-inflicted injury (E950-E959)
      • E956 Suicide and self-inflicted injury by cutting and piercing instruments

Information for Medical Professionals

Information for Patients


Suicide

What is suicide?

Suicide is the taking of one's own life. It is a death that happens when someone harms themselves because they want to end their life. A suicide attempt is when someone harms themselves to try to end their life, but they do not die.

Suicide is a major public health problem and a leading cause of death in the United States. The effects of suicide go beyond the person who acts to take his or her life. It can also have a lasting effect on family, friends, and communities.

Who is at risk for suicide?

Suicide does not discriminate. It can touch anyone, anywhere, at any time. But there are certain factors that can contribute to the risk of suicide, including:

  • Having attempted suicide before
  • Depression and other mental health disorders
  • Alcohol or drug use disorder
  • Family history of a mental health disorder
  • Family history of an alcohol or drug use disorder
  • Family history of suicide
  • Family violence, including physical or sexual abuse
  • Having guns in the home
  • Being in or having recently gotten out of prison or jail
  • Being exposed to others' suicidal behavior, such as a family member, peer, or celebrity
  • Medical illness, including chronic pain
  • Stressful life event, such as a job loss, financial problems, loss of a loved one, a breakup of a relationship, etc.
  • Being between the ages of 15 and 24 years or over age 60

What are the warning signs for suicide?

The warning signs for suicide include:

  • Talking about wanting to die or wanting to kill oneself
  • Making a plan or looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online
  • Buying a gun or stockpiling pills
  • Feeling empty, hopeless, trapped, or like there's no reason to live
  • Being in unbearable pain
  • Talking about being a burden to others
  • Using more alcohol or drugs
  • Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly
  • Sleeping too little or too much
  • Withdrawing from family or friends or feeling isolated
  • Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
  • Displaying extreme mood swings
  • Saying good-bye to loved ones, putting affairs in order

Some people may tell others about their suicidal thoughts. But others may try to hide them. This can make some of the signs harder to spot.

What should I do if I need help or know someone who does?

If you or someone you know has the warning signs for suicide, get help right away, especially if there is a change in behavior. If it is an emergency, dial 911. Otherwise there are five steps that you can take:

  • Ask the person if they're thinking about killing themselves
  • Keep them safe. Find out whether they have a plan for suicide and keep them away from things that they can use to kill themselves.
  • Be there with them. Listen carefully and find out what they are thinking and feeling.
  • Help them connect to resources that can help them, such as
    • Calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). Veterans can call and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.
    • Texting the Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741)
    • Texting the Veterans Crisis Line at 838255
  • Stay connected. Staying in touch after a crisis can make a difference.

NIH: National Institute of Mental Health


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ICD-9 Footnotes

General Equivalence Map Definitions
The ICD-9 and ICD-10 GEMs are used to facilitate linking between the diagnosis codes in ICD-9-CM and the new ICD-10-CM code set. The GEMs are the raw material from which providers, health information vendors and payers can derive specific applied mappings to meet their needs.

  • Approximate Flag - The approximate flag is on, indicating that the relationship between the code in the source system and the code in the target system is an approximate equivalent.
  • No Map Flag - The no map flag indicates that a code in the source system is not linked to any code in the target system.
  • Combination Flag - The combination flag indicates that more than one code in the target system is required to satisfy the full equivalent meaning of a code in the source system.