S81 vs T33
S81 (Open wound of knee and lower leg) compared with T33 (Superficial frostbite), 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. S81 carries an Excludes2 note covering T33: “frostbite (T33-T34)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Side by side
| S81Open wound of knee and lower leg | T33Superficial frostbite | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header Report instead: S81.001A, S81.001D, S81.001S, S81.002A, S81.002D | Non-billable header Report instead: T33.011A, T33.011D, T33.011S, T33.012A, T33.012D |
| 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 wound of knee and lower leg is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S81). | Superficial frostbite is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (T33). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S81 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T33 |
| Includes | — | frostbite with partial thickness skin loss |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources