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L03.311 vs P38

L03.311 (Cellulitis of abdominal wall) compared with P38 (Omphalitis of newborn), from the official CMS tabular data.

Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 28, 2026 · All releases and sources

Summary

These codes can be reported together when both conditions are documented, because L03.311 lists P38 under Excludes2, which marks them as distinct conditions.

Official rule
What is different?

The conditions named, billing status and chapter.L03.311 is “Cellulitis of abdominal wall”; P38 is “Omphalitis of newborn”. P38 is a non-billable header; L03.311 is billable. L03.311 sits in L00-L99 — Diseases of the Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue (L00-L99); P38 in P00-P96 — Certain Conditions Originating in the Perinatal Period (P00-P96).

Registry fact

Can these codes be reported together?

Yes, when both are documented.L03.311 lists P38 under Excludes2: “omphalitis of newborn (P38.-)”. Excludes2 marks distinct conditions that may both be reported when both are documented.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is there an Excludes2 relationship?

Yes.L03.311’s tabular entry: “omphalitis of newborn (P38.-)”. The note covers P38.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is one a parent or header code?

One is a header.P38 is a non-billable header, but L03.311 is not one of its subdivisions.

Registry fact

Nothing found in 3 other checks; 1 check does not apply
Is there an Excludes1 relationship?

None.Neither entry carries an Excludes1 note that names the other code. P38 carries 3 Excludes1 notes covering other codes; the side-by-side table quotes them.

Official rule

Is one more specific?

Not comparable.The codes sit in different categories; specificity is only comparable within one category.

Are there sequencing instructions?

None.Neither entry carries a Code First or Use Additional Code note that names the other.

Official rule

Are there other coding relationships?

None found.No laterality, encounter-phase, Table of Neoplasms, Table of Drugs and Chemicals, or history-versus-active-disease relationship links these codes.

MedCoder-derived

Official rule: a tabular instructional note or a section of the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, quoted as published. Registry fact: the codes’ own published attributes (titles, billable status, position in the hierarchy, code set). MedCoder-derived: a reading MedCoder computes from those facts; it is not itself a rule. How to read the labels

Can these codes be reported together?

Informational

Excludes2 relationship

L03.311
Cellulitis of abdominal wall
↔
P38
Omphalitis of newborn

What we found

Yes, when both are documented.L03.311 carries an Excludes2 note covering P38: “omphalitis of newborn (P38.-)”

Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.

What to review

Report both only when the documentation supports both conditions; otherwise report the one documented.

Guide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2Check these on a claim

Why it matters

An Excludes2 note means the excluded condition is not part of the code above it, but a patient can have both. Report both when both are documented.

Source / rule

CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes

Official guidance behind these answers

  • Section I.A.12.b — Excludes2 · applies to: Excludes2

    A type 2 Excludes note represents “Not included here.” An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.

    ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines FY2027

Quoted from the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting in effect for the release shown. The tabular notes above are the code-level instruction; these sections are the convention that says how such a note is applied. Source document (CMS PDF) · Release and checksum

Side by side

Similar descriptions do not make codes interchangeable. The documentation and the official instructions decide which code applies.

Official descriptionDiffers
L03.311

Cellulitis of abdominal wall

P38

Omphalitis of newborn

StatusDiffers
L03.311
Billable
P38
Non-billable header

A header is not reported on a claim; a code beneath it is.

Report instead: P38.1, P38.9

Excludes1Differs
L03.311

None at this code

P38
  • omphalitis not of newborn (L08.82)
  • tetanus omphalitis (A33)
  • umbilical hemorrhage of newborn (P51.-)
Excludes2Differs
L03.311
  • cellulitis of umbilicus (L03.316)
  • cellulitis of groin (L03.314)
  • cellulitis of anal and rectal regions (K61.-)
  • cellulitis of breast NOS (N61.0)
  • cellulitis of female external genital organs (N76.4)
  • cellulitis of male external genital organs (N48.2, N49.-)
  • omphalitis of newborn (P38.-)
  • puerperal cellulitis of breast (O91.2)
  • cellulitis of anal and rectal region (K61.-)
  • cellulitis of external auditory canal (H60.1)
  • cellulitis of eyelid (H00.0)
  • cellulitis of lacrimal apparatus (H04.3)
  • cellulitis of mouth (K12.2)
  • cellulitis of nose (J34.0)
  • eosinophilic cellulitis [Wells] (L98.3)
  • febrile neutrophilic dermatosis [Sweet] (L98.2)
  • lymphangitis (chronic) (subacute) (I89.1)
  • hordeolum (H00.0)
  • infective dermatitis (L30.3)
  • local infections of skin classified in Chapter 1
  • lupus panniculitis (L93.2)
  • panniculitis NOS (M79.3)
  • panniculitis of neck and back (M54.0-)
  • Perlèche NOS (K13.0)
  • Perlèche due to candidiasis (B37.0)
  • Perlèche due to riboflavin deficiency (E53.0)
  • pyogenic granuloma (L98.0)
  • relapsing panniculitis [Weber-Christian] (M35.6)
  • viral warts (B07.-)
  • zoster (B02.-)
P38
  • asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] infection status (Z21)
  • congenital gonococcal infection (A54.-)
  • congenital pneumonia (P23.-)
  • congenital syphilis (A50.-)
  • human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] disease (B20)
  • infant botulism (A48.51)
  • infectious diseases not specific to the perinatal period (A00-B99, J09, J10.-)
  • intestinal infectious disease (A00-A09)
  • laboratory evidence of human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] (R75)
  • tetanus neonatorum (A33)
Use additional codeDiffers
L03.311
  • code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agent.
P38

None at this code

CategoryDiffers
L03.311

L03 Cellulitis and acute lymphangitis

P38

Is itself a category

ChapterDiffers
L03.311

L00-L99 — Diseases of the Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue (L00-L99)

P38

P00-P96 — Certain Conditions Originating in the Perinatal Period (P00-P96)

No Code first, Code also, Includes and 7th character note at either code.

Notes are the code’s own tabular entry, quoted as published. A note that names the other code is the one the verdict above rests on. In a row that differs, each code’s own notes are listed under it, and the notes every code shares are listed once beneath them.

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Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2027). A coding-rule comparison, not billing advice: payer-specific edits and medical-necessity policy are outside its scope. All data sources