Laceration with foreign body of right forearm

Not billableICD-10-CM diagnosis code.

This code exists but cannot be submitted on its own. It groups the more specific codes beneath it.

A category header for its whole life, FY2016 onwards. It has never been valid for submission on its own.

Submit one of these 3 more specific codes instead:

S51.821A Laceration with foreign body of right forearm, initial encounter
S51.821D Laceration with foreign body of right forearm, subsequent encounter
S51.821S Laceration with foreign body of right forearm, sequela

This code requires a seventh character. See the rule below.

What has happened to this code

Every change the publisher made, from 2014 to now. Entries marked draft are from the pre-implementation releases: ICD-10 took effect on 1 October 2015, so nothing before FY2016 was ever valid on a claim.

FY2014 Added to the draft code set draft Laceration with foreign body of right forearm

Official coding rules

Published by CDC for FY2027. A rule attached to a category binds every code beneath it, so the rules inherited from this code's ancestors are shown with the code they come from.

Inherited from S51 Open wound of elbow and forearm

Seventh character required

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S51

Excludes1 - never coded here

open fracture of elbow and forearm (S52.- with open fracture 7th character)
traumatic amputation of elbow and forearm (S58.-)

Excludes2 - not included here

open wound of wrist and hand (S61.-)

Code also

any associated wound infection

Inherited from the S50-S59 section Injuries to the elbow and forearm (S50-S59)

Excludes2 - not included here

burns and corrosions (T20-T32)
frostbite (T33-T34)
injuries of wrist and hand (S60-S69)
insect bite or sting, venomous (T63.4)

How CDC's index refers to this code

Wording from the official alphabetic index. Much of it appears nowhere in the code description, which is why a search for the everyday phrase so often finds nothing.

Laceration > axilla
Injury > forearm > open
Laceration > arm > lower
Wound, open > arm > forearm
Wound, open > arm > laceration
Wound, open > forearm > laceration
Laceration > forearm > right > with > foreign body

Codes in the same group

Code	Description	Status
S51.822	Laceration with foreign body of left forearm	Not billable
S51.829	Laceration with foreign body of unspecified forearm	Not billable