Skip to main content

T23.161A vs T23.162A

T23.161A (Burn of first degree of back of right hand, initial encounter) compared with T23.162A (Burn of first degree of back of left hand, initial encounter), from the official CMS tabular data. T23.161A and T23.162A code the same condition on opposite sides. MedCoder-derived

Relationship

Review

Laterality relationship

T23.161A
Right
Burn of first degree of back of right hand, initial encounter
T23.162A
Left
Burn of first degree of back of left hand, initial encounter

Same condition; these differ only in which side is documented.

These codes share a category and title and differ only in the side affected. The documentation decides which applies, and a bilateral code is reported only where the code set provides one.

Source: ICD-10-CM tabular list (laterality variant derived from the code title)

Can these codes be reported together?

Same condition, opposite side. T23.161A and T23.162A 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

T23.161ABurn of first degree of back of right hand, initial encounterT23.162ABurn of first degree of back of left hand, initial encounter
Billing statusBillableBillable
ClassificationS00-T88 — Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causesS00-T88 — Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
DefinitionBurn of first degree of back of right hand, initial encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (T23.161A).Burn of first degree of back of left hand, initial encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (T23.162A).
7th characterThe appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T23The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T23
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]
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

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources