E51.2 is the authoritative medical code for Wernicke's encephalopathy. This classification is used in medical billing and clinical recording to specify the clinical criteria for wernicke's encephalopathy (ICD-10-CM E51.2), ensuring healthcare documentation aligns with 2026 federal coding standards.
Billing Status: YES. This is a valid, specific, and billable ICD-10-CM reference.
Official Registry Overview & Definition
Wernicke's encephalopathy is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code E51.2. Excludes1 (not coded here): sequelae of thiamine deficiency E64.8. Excludes2 (not included here): nutritional anemias D50-D53.
Official Tabular Instructional Notes
Sequencing, inclusion, and exclusion notes published for E51.2 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list.
Excludes1 — Not Coded Here
Conditions that can never be reported with this code; the two are mutually exclusive.
- sequelae of thiamine deficiency E64.8
Excludes2 — Not Included Here
Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.
- nutritional anemias D50-D53
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Clinical Guidance
What can't be coded together with E51.2?
Per Excludes1 instructions, E51.2 must not be reported with: sequelae of thiamine deficiency (E64.8).
Can E51.2 be reported alongside related conditions?
Per Excludes2 instructions, E51.2 and the following may both be reported when both are present: nutritional anemias (D50-D53).
Codes in This Family (6)
Official ICD-10-CM classifications in the same code family as E51.2, with their registry titles.
- E51 — Thiamine deficiency
- E51.1 — Beriberi
- E51.11 — Dry beriberi
- E51.12 — Wet beriberi
- E51.8 — Other manifestations of thiamine deficiency
- E51.9 — Thiamine deficiency, unspecified
Indexed Clinical Terms (11)
Clinical term phrases from the official ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries that map to this code.
- Degeneration, degenerative, brain (cortical) (progressive), in, beriberi
- Encephalopathy (acute), vitamin B deficiency NEC, vitamin B1
- Encephalopathy (acute), Wernicke's
- Hemorrhage, hemorrhagic (concealed), polioencephalitis, superior
- Polioencephalitis (acute) (bulbar), superior hemorrhagic (acute) (Wernicke's)
- Polioencephalitis (acute) (bulbar), Wernicke's
- Polioencephalomyelitis (acute) (anterior), with beriberi
- Polioencephalopathy, superior hemorrhagic
- Wernicke's, disease or syndrome
- Wernicke's, encephalopathy
- Wernicke's, polioencephalitis, superior
Related Codes & Numerical Sequence (Crawl Map)
Search engines and indexers are advised to traverse adjacent medical codes in this sub-chapter range to find correlated diagnoses or therapeutic procedures: