T85.738D vs Z44
T85.738D (Infection and inflammatory reaction due to other nervous system device, implant or graft, subsequent encounter) compared with Z44 (Encounter for fitting and adjustment of external prosthetic device), 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. T85.738D carries an Excludes2 note covering Z44: “fitting and adjustment of external prosthetic device (Z44.-)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Side by side
| T85.738DInfection and inflammatory reaction due to other nervous system device, implant or graft, subsequent encounter | Z44Encounter for fitting and adjustment of external prosthetic device | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Non-billable header |
| Classification | S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88) | Z00-Z99 — Factors Influencing Health Status and Contact with Health Services (Z00-Z99) |
| Definition | Infection and inflammatory reaction due to other nervous system device, implant or graft, subsequent encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (T85.738D). | Encounter for fitting and adjustment of external prosthetic device is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (Z44). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T85 | — |
| Includes | Infection and inflammatory reaction due to intrathecal infusion pump | removal or replacement of external prosthetic device |
| Use additional code | code to identify infection code for adverse effect, if applicable, to identify drug (T36-T50 with fifth or sixth character 5) code(s) to identify the specified condition resulting from the complication | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources