T22.169A vs T22.169S

T22.169A (Burn of first degree of unspecified scapular region, initial encounter) compared with T22.169S (Burn of first degree of unspecified scapular region, sequela), from the official CMS tabular data. T22.169A and T22.169S code the same injury at a different phase of treatment. MedCoder-derived

Can these codes be reported together?

Review

Encounter relationship

T22.169A

Initial encounter

Burn of first degree of unspecified scapular region, initial encounter

↔

T22.169S

Sequela

Burn of first degree of unspecified scapular region, sequela

What we found

Same injury, other encounter phase.T22.169A and T22.169S code the same injury at a different phase of treatment, set by the 7th character.

The 7th character records the type of care given at the encounter being coded (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.C.19.a), so one encounter takes one of these, not both.

What to review

Use the 7th character that matches the encounter being coded (initial, subsequent or sequela); one encounter takes one of them.

Guide: 7th characters: initial, subsequent, sequela Check these on a claim

Why it matters

The 7th character records the phase of care for the encounter being coded, so a single encounter takes one of these characters, not several. Review whether both phases belong on the same episode of care.

Source / rule

ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.C.19.a

Side by side

	T22.169ABurn of first degree of unspecified scapular region, initial encounter	T22.169SBurn of first degree of unspecified scapular region, 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	Burn of first degree of unspecified scapular region, initial encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (T22.169A).	Burn of first degree of unspecified scapular region, sequela is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (T22.169S).
7th character	The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T22	The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T22
Includes	burns and corrosions of first degree [erythema] burns and corrosions of second degree [blisters][epidermal loss] burns and corrosions of third degree [deep necrosis of underlying tissue] [full- thickness skin loss]	burns and corrosions of first degree [erythema] burns and corrosions of second degree [blisters][epidermal loss] burns and corrosions of third degree [deep necrosis of underlying tissue] [full- thickness skin loss]
Excludes2	burn and corrosion of interscapular region (T21.-) burn and corrosion of wrist and hand (T23.-)	burn and corrosion of interscapular region (T21.-) burn and corrosion of wrist and hand (T23.-)
Use additional code	external cause code to identify the source, place and intent of the burn (X00-X19, X75-X77, X96-X98, Y92) code from category T31 or T32 to identify extent of body surface involved	external cause code to identify the source, place and intent of the burn (X00-X19, X75-X77, X96-X98, Y92) code from category T31 or T32 to identify extent of body surface involved

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.

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Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). A coding-rule comparison, not billing advice: payer-specific edits and medical-necessity policy are outside its scope. All data sources