T71.9XXA vs T71.9XXD
T71.9XXA (Asphyxiation due to unspecified cause, initial encounter) compared with T71.9XXD (Asphyxiation due to unspecified cause, subsequent encounter), from the official CMS tabular data. T71.9XXA and T71.9XXD code the same injury at a different phase of treatment.
Can these codes be reported together?
Same injury, other encounter phase. T71.9XXA and T71.9XXD 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.
Side by side
| T71.9XXAAsphyxiation due to unspecified cause, initial encounter | T71.9XXDAsphyxiation due to unspecified cause, subsequent encounter | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Asphyxiation due to unspecified cause, initial encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (T71.9A). | Asphyxiation due to unspecified cause, subsequent encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (T71.9D). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T71 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T71 |
| Includes | Suffocation (by strangulation) due to unspecified cause Suffocation NOS Systemic oxygen deficiency due to low oxygen content in ambient air due to unspecified cause Systemic oxygen deficiency due to mechanical threat to breathing due to unspecified cause | Suffocation (by strangulation) due to unspecified cause Suffocation NOS Systemic oxygen deficiency due to low oxygen content in ambient air due to unspecified cause Systemic oxygen deficiency due to mechanical threat to breathing due to unspecified cause |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources