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T61 vs T63.81

T61 (Toxic effect of noxious substances eaten as seafood) compared with T63.81 (Toxic effect of contact with venomous frog), from the official CMS tabular data.

Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 28, 2026 · All releases and sources

Summary

These codes can be reported together when both conditions are documented, because T63.81 lists T61 under Excludes2, which marks them as distinct conditions.

Official rule
What is different?

Title wording.The titles share “Toxic effect of”; T61 says “noxious substances eaten as seafood” where T63.81 says “contact with venomous frog”.

Registry fact

Can these codes be reported together?

Yes, when both are documented.T63.81 lists T61 under Excludes2: “ingestion of toxic animal or plant (T61.-, T62.-)”. Excludes2 marks distinct conditions that may both be reported when both are documented.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is there an Excludes1 relationship?

None.Neither entry carries an Excludes1 note that names the other code. T61 carries 14 Excludes1 notes and T63.81 carries 2 Excludes1 notes covering other codes; the side-by-side table quotes them.

Official rule

Is there an Excludes2 relationship?

Yes.T63.81’s tabular entry: “ingestion of toxic animal or plant (T61.-, T62.-)”. The note covers T61.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is one more specific?

Not comparable.The codes sit in different categories; specificity is only comparable within one category.

Is one a parent or header code?

Both are headers.Both are non-billable headers, and neither contains the other.

Registry fact

Are there sequencing instructions?

None.Neither entry carries a Code First or Use Additional Code note that names the other.

Official rule

Are there other coding relationships?

None found.No laterality, encounter-phase, Table of Neoplasms, Table of Drugs and Chemicals, or history-versus-active-disease relationship links these codes.

MedCoder-derived

Official rule: a tabular instructional note or a section of the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, quoted as published. Registry fact: the codes’ own published attributes (titles, billable status, position in the hierarchy, code set). MedCoder-derived: a reading MedCoder computes from those facts; it is not itself a rule. How to read the labels

Can these codes be reported together?

Informational

Excludes2 relationship

T63.81
Toxic effect of contact with venomous frog
↔
T61
Toxic effect of noxious substances eaten as seafood

What we found

Yes, when both are documented.T63.81 carries an Excludes2 note covering T61: “ingestion of toxic animal or plant (T61.-, T62.-)”

Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.

What to review

Report both only when the documentation supports both conditions; otherwise report the one documented.

Guide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2Check these on a claim

Why it matters

An Excludes2 note means the excluded condition is not part of the code above it, but a patient can have both. Report both when both are documented.

Source / rule

CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes

Official guidance behind these answers

  • Section I.A.12.b — Excludes2 · applies to: Excludes2

    A type 2 Excludes note represents “Not included here.” An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.

    ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines FY2027

Quoted from the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting in effect for the release shown. The tabular notes above are the code-level instruction; these sections are the convention that says how such a note is applied. Source document (CMS PDF) · Release and checksum

Side by side

Similar descriptions do not make codes interchangeable. The documentation and the official instructions decide which code applies.

Official descriptionDiffers
T61

Toxic effect of noxious substances eaten as seafood

T63.81

Toxic effect of contact with venomous frog

StatusDiffers
T61
Non-billable header

A header is not reported on a claim; a code beneath it is.

Report instead: T61.01XA, T61.01XD, T61.01XS, T61.02XA, T61.02XD

T63.81
Non-billable header

A header is not reported on a claim; a code beneath it is.

Report instead: T63.811A, T63.811D, T63.811S, T63.812A, T63.812D

Excludes1Differs
T61
  • allergic reaction to food, such as:
  • anaphylactic reaction or shock due to adverse food reaction (T78.0-)
  • bacterial foodborne intoxications (A05.-)
  • dermatitis (L23.6, L25.4, L27.2)
  • food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (K52.21)
  • food protein-induced enteropathy (K52.22)
  • gastroenteritis (noninfective) (K52.29)
  • toxic effect of aflatoxin and other mycotoxins (T64)
  • toxic effect of cyanides (T65.0-)
  • toxic effect of harmful algae bloom (T65.82-)
  • toxic effect of hydrogen cyanide (T57.3-)
  • toxic effect of mercury (T56.1-)
  • toxic effect of red tide (T65.82-)
  • contact with and (suspected) exposure to toxic substances (Z77.-)
T63.81
  • contact with nonvenomous frog (W62.0)
  • contact with and (suspected) exposure to toxic substances (Z77.-)
Excludes2Differs
T61

None at this code

T63.81
  • ingestion of toxic animal or plant (T61.-, T62.-)
Use additional codeSame for both
  • code(s):
  • for all associated manifestations of toxic effect, such as: respiratory conditions due to external agents (J60-J70)
  • personal history of foreign body fully removed (Z87.821)
CategoryDiffers
T61

Is itself a category

T63.81

T63 Toxic effect of contact with venomous animals and plants

ChapterSame for both

S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88)

IncludesDiffers
T61

None at this code

T63.81
  • bite or touch of venomous animal
  • pricked or stuck by thorn or leaf
7th characterDiffers
T61
  • The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T61
T63.81
  • The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T63

No Code first and Code also note at either code.

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. In a row that differs, notes every code shares are dimmed.

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Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2027). A coding-rule comparison, not billing advice: payer-specific edits and medical-necessity policy are outside its scope. All data sources