S21.442S vs S21.449S
S21.442S (Puncture wound with foreign body of left back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity, sequela) compared with S21.449S (Puncture wound with foreign body of unspecified back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity, sequela), from the official CMS tabular data. S21.442S and S21.449S code the same condition on opposite sides.
Can these codes be reported together?
Same condition, opposite side. S21.442S and S21.449S name the same condition on opposite sides of the body.
Same category and title, differing only in which side is affected — the documentation decides which one applies, and a bilateral code is reported only where the code set provides one.
Side by side
| S21.442SPuncture wound with foreign body of left back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity, sequela | S21.449SPuncture wound with foreign body of unspecified back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity, sequela | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Billable |
| Classification | S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88) | S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88) |
| Definition | Puncture wound with foreign body of left back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity, sequela is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (S21.442S). | Puncture wound with foreign body of unspecified back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity, sequela is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (S21.449S). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S21 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S21 |
| Includes | injuries of breast injuries of chest (wall) injuries of interscapular area | injuries of breast injuries of chest (wall) injuries of interscapular area |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources