A35 ICD-10-CM Code: Other tetanus

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for A35 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2026Effective: October 1, 2025

Coder workflow for A35

MedCoder structured workflow — derived from this code’s own official record

Before you code A35

1. “Other” (NEC) means the condition is specified in the record but no dedicated code captures it. Confirm the documented form is not one a sibling code names before settling on A35; if the record states no specifics at all, the unspecified sibling applies instead. “Other” codes are for documented conditions the classification gives no specific code; “unspecified” codes are for records lacking the detail (Guidelines I.A.9.a, I.A.9.b).

   See the relationships section · Guide: Other vs unspecified (NEC vs NOS) →

2. Check the Excludes1 note: if the documentation supports a condition named there, do not simply proceed with A35. Excludes1 conditions are not reported together with this code unless the record shows they are unrelated (Guidelines I.A.12.a).

   See the official tabular notes

Choose the right path

1. Does the documentation support a condition named in A35’s Excludes1 note?
   Yes → Do not simply proceed: review the excluded code. Both are reported only when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated.
   No → Continue.

   ReviewA34, A33

Consider A35. Then confirm the code is valid for the date of service in the Verify section.

Documentation check

The provider’s diagnostic statement

Codes are assigned from the provider’s documented diagnosis, not from clinical criteria, test values or a medication list (Guidelines I.A.19).

Any detail beyond this code’s title

What the record states that a more specific sibling code would capture — or its absence, which itself supports the unspecified code.

Official instructions as workflow

• Excludes1 — check before selecting A35(2 notes)

  Coding workflow: If the documentation supports a condition named in this note, do not simply proceed with A35: the two are not reported together. The one exception is when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other.

  CompareA34, A33

  See the official tabular notes · Guidelines I.A.12.a

Coding decision scenarios

Pattern scenarios for this code’s structure — decision rules, not clinical cases

Every row is derived from this code’s own record — its title, tabular notes, 7th-character family and same-category siblings — with fixed MedCoder wording; nothing is inferred about a patient. The official notes and guideline text are in the sections each row links to, and they control.

Indexed Clinical Terms (2)

Official source data — entries quoted as published, in the Index’s own lookup phrasing

Clinical term phrases from the official ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries that map to this code. These are alphabetic-index entries shown as the Index writes them — lookup phrasing, not necessarily the wording of a final diagnosis.

• Radiculomyelitis, toxic, due to, Clostridium tetani
• Tetanus, tetanic (cephalic) (convulsions)

Don’t confuse A35 with…

MedCoder analysis — pairs from this code’s official notes, distinctions written by MedCoder

The codes most likely to be picked instead of A35 — named in its own official notes, or sharing its laterality or encounter family — with what separates them and which documentation moves the case. Each links to the full comparison.

• A34— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

  Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

  Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

  What moves you there: Documentation of obstetrical tetanus moves the case to A34; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

  Full comparison: A35 vs A34 →

• A33— Excludes1 conflict (Excludes1 — generally not reported together)

  Not coded here — the tabular list excludes this pair for the same encounter.

  Not reported together with this code, except where the two conditions are documented as unrelated.

  What moves you there: Documentation of tetanus neonatorum moves the case to A33; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

  Full comparison: A35 vs A33 →

Relationships are read from this code's own official notes, its laterality siblings and its encounter family; the wording of each distinction is MedCoder editorial, and the documentation named in each “what moves you there” line is the official note phrase or sibling title itself. Source: CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes; ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a.

Verify Before Coding

• MCC as a secondary diagnosis (FY2026). Can raise the stay's MS-DRG severity tier.

From the code registry, the Medicare Code Editor, and the MS-DRG Definitions Manual. Check it against a full claim in Claim Check.

Relationships & Classification

MedCoder structured relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

MS-DRG Grouper Relationships (FY2026)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

FY2026 MS-DRG: MCC — Major Complication or Comorbidity. Reported as a secondary diagnosis, this code raises the stay's MS-DRG severity tier — except when the principal diagnosis is one of 5 clinically related codes on its CMS exclusion list.

Named in the grouper logic of 5 MS-DRGs: DRG 791 (MDC 15), DRG 793 (MDC 15), DRG 867 (MDC 18), DRG 868 (MDC 18), DRG 869 (MDC 18).

From the CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendices B and C). Actual DRG assignment depends on the complete claim.

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):INF003 — Bacterial infections (default).

Clinical Classifications Software Refined (CCSR) for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Related Codes

Same clinical process (MS-DRG)

Acts as MCC — raises the severity of other admissions. CMS groups these diagnoses into one MS-DRG principal-diagnosis exclusion process — a CC/MCC on this list never raises severity when the principal diagnosis is also on it.

B92 — Sequelae of leprosy, B94.2 — Sequelae of viral hepatitis, B94.8 — Sequelae of other specified infectious and parasitic diseases, B94.9 — Sequelae of unspecified infectious and parasitic disease

Same clinical category (CCSR)

AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software groups these diagnoses under the same clinical category (Bacterial infections).

+399 more

Same Index main term, other category

The ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries files this code under the main terms “Radiculomyelitis”, “Tetanus, tetanic”; these codes share that main term but sit in a different category of the Tabular List.

A33 — Tetanus neonatorum (neonatorum), A34 — Obstetrical tetanus (obstetrical), A36.82 — Diphtheritic radiculomyelitis (toxic, due to, Corynebacterium diphtheriae), O08.0 — Genital tract and pelvic infection following ectopic and molar pregnancy (with, ectopic or molar pregnancy)

Contextual Map

Every relationship of A35 in one view: hierarchy, official tabular instructions in both directions, clinical classification, risk adjustment, MS-DRG participation, index terms and change history — each edge carrying the CMS source it derives from.

Run A35 with these 2 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

• A00-B99 — Chapter 1: Certain Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (A00-B99) (A00-B99)[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• A30-A49 — Other bacterial diseases[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026

Excludes1

• A33 — Tetanus neonatorum[Excludes1]: “tetanus neonatorum (A33)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026
• A34 — Obstetrical tetanus[Excludes1]: “obstetrical tetanus (A34)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Clinical classification (CCSR)

• INF003 — Bacterial infections[CCSR]— AHRQ CCSR for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses (HCUP)

MS-DRG Grouper

• MCC — Major Complication or Comorbidity [MS-DRG severity]: “As a secondary diagnosis this code can raise the stay's MS-DRG severity tier (MCC).”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix C) · FY2026
• DRG 791 — PREMATURITY WITH MAJOR PROBLEMS[MS-DRG]: “PREMATURITY WITH MAJOR PROBLEMS (MDC 15)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026
• DRG 793 — FULL TERM NEONATE WITH MAJOR PROBLEMS[MS-DRG]: “FULL TERM NEONATE WITH MAJOR PROBLEMS (MDC 15)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026
• DRG 867 — OTHER INFECTIOUS AND PARASITIC DISEASES DIAGNOSES WITH MCC[MS-DRG]: “OTHER INFECTIOUS AND PARASITIC DISEASES DIAGNOSES WITH MCC (MDC 18)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026
• DRG 868 — OTHER INFECTIOUS AND PARASITIC DISEASES DIAGNOSES WITH CC[MS-DRG]: “OTHER INFECTIOUS AND PARASITIC DISEASES DIAGNOSES WITH CC (MDC 18)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026
• DRG 869 — OTHER INFECTIOUS AND PARASITIC DISEASES DIAGNOSES WITHOUT CC/MCC[MS-DRG]: “OTHER INFECTIOUS AND PARASITIC DISEASES DIAGNOSES WITHOUT CC/MCC (MDC 18)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026

MDC crossing

• MDC 15 — Newborns and Other Neonates with Conditions Originating in Perinatal Period[MDC crossing]: “Newborns and Other Neonates with Conditions Originating in Perinatal Period — the grouper's crossing between diagnoses and procedures: a principal diagnosis sets the MDC, and same-MDC procedures move the stay to its surgical DRGs.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2026
• MDC 18 — Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Systemic or Unspecified Sites[MDC crossing]: “Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Systemic or Unspecified Sites — the grouper's crossing between diagnoses and procedures: a principal diagnosis sets the MDC, and same-MDC procedures move the stay to its surgical DRGs. 1 same-MDC procedures group here; browse them on the MDC page.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2026

Index entries

• Radiculomyelitis, toxic, due to, Clostridium tetani[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
• Tetanus, tetanic (cephalic) (convulsions)[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026

Change history

• FY2016 — In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption [Change history]— CMS release files (code change ledger) · icd10cm-fy2016

Sources for this page

Codes, titles, notes, index terms and mappings on this page are transcribed from the datasets below. Relationships MedCoder computed and text MedCoder wrote are labelled where they appear.

Code, title, tabular notes and index terms Official source data

CMS/CDC ICD-10-CM FY2026 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2025 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page

Claim edits Official source data

CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v43.1 (April 2026) Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page

Inpatient payment groups Official source data

CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (incl. Appendix B diagnosis index, Appendix C CC/MCC list, Appendix E procedure index) and IPPS Final Rule tables — v43 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page

Change history and date-of-service validity Official source data

CMS ICD-10-CM release addenda, ingested release by release into the change ledger Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page

Comparisons, relationships and the contextual map MedCoder structured relationship

Computed by MedCoder from the tabular notes and tables above; every derived relationship is marked as derived where it appears

Summary and FAQ answers MedCoder explanation

Written by MedCoder to explain the sources above: drafted with AI assistance, checked by a person against the release files, and labelled as MedCoder text where it appears. Not official text.

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder structured relationship · MedCoder explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates