W38 vs W50
W38 (Explosion and rupture of other specified pressurized devices) compared with W50 (Accidental hit, strike, kick, twist, bite or scratch by another person), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.
Can these codes be reported together?
No — do not report together. W38 carries an Excludes1 note covering W50: “contact or collision with animals or persons (W50-W64)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
Side by side
| W38Explosion and rupture of other specified pressurized devices | W50Accidental hit, strike, kick, twist, bite or scratch by another person | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header Report instead: W50.0XXA, W50.0XXD, W50.0XXS, W50.1XXA, W50.1XXD |
| Classification | V00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99) | V00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99) |
| Definition | Explosion and rupture of other specified pressurized devices is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (W38). | Accidental hit, strike, kick, twist, bite or scratch by another person is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (W50). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to code W38 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W50 |
| Includes | — | hit, strike, kick, twist, bite, or scratch by another person NOS |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources