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Compare/E41 vs E42

E41 vs E42

E41 (Nutritional marasmus) compared with E42 (Marasmic kwashiorkor), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.

Can these codes be reported together?

No — do not report together. E41 carries an Excludes1 note covering E42: “marasmic kwashiorkor (E42)”

Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

Side by side

E41Nutritional marasmusE42Marasmic kwashiorkor
Billing statusBillableBillable
ClassificationE00-E89 — Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases (E00-E89)E00-E89 — Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases (E00-E89)
DefinitionNutritional marasmus is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (E41).Marasmic kwashiorkor is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (E42).
Includes
Severe malnutrition with marasmus
Intermediate form severe protein-calorie malnutrition
Severe protein-calorie malnutrition with signs of both kwashiorkor and marasmus

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources