S51.85 vs S61
S51.85 (Open bite of forearm) compared with S61 (Open wound of wrist, hand and fingers), from the official CMS tabular data. Both may be reported when both conditions are documented (Excludes2).
Can these codes be reported together?
Yes, when both are documented. S51.85 carries an Excludes2 note covering S61: “open wound of wrist and hand (S61.-)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Side by side
| S51.85Open bite of forearm | S61Open wound of wrist, hand and fingers | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header Report instead: S51.851A, S51.851D, S51.851S, S51.852A, S51.852D | Non-billable header Report instead: S61.001A, S61.001D, S61.001S, S61.002A, S61.002D |
| 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 | Open bite of forearm is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S51.85). | Open wound of wrist, hand and fingers is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S61). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S51 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S61 |
| Includes | Bite of forearm NOS | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources