W38 vs W64
W38 (Explosion and rupture of other specified pressurized devices) compared with W64 (Exposure to other animate mechanical forces), 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 W64: “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 | W64Exposure to other animate mechanical forces | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Non-billable header |
| 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). | Exposure to other animate mechanical forces is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (W64). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to code W38 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to code W64 |
| Includes | — | exposure to nonvenomous animal NOS |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources