Superficial frostbite of unspecified sites

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:

T33.90XA Superficial frostbite of unspecified sites, initial encounter
T33.90XD Superficial frostbite of unspecified sites, subsequent encounter
T33.90XS Superficial frostbite of unspecified sites, 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 Superficial frostbite of unspecified sites

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 T33 Superficial frostbite

Seventh character required

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T33

Includes

frostbite with partial thickness skin loss

Inherited from the T33-T34 section Frostbite (T33-T34)

Excludes2 - not included here

hypothermia and other effects of reduced temperature (T68, T69.-)

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.

Frozen
Freezing
Frostbite > leg > toe
Effect, adverse > cold > frostbite
Frostbite > leg > with tissue necrosis
Frostbite > with > partial thickness skin loss
Frostbite

Codes in the same group

Code	Description	Status
T33.99	Superficial frostbite of other sites	Not billable