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S21.95 ICD-10-CM Code: Open bite of unspecified part of thorax

Billing Status: NO. This is a clinician non-billable / parent hierarchy grouping in the ICD-10-CM system.

Official Registry Overview & Definition

Open bite of unspecified part of thorax is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (S21.95). A more specific billable subcode must be selected for claims submission.

Official Tabular Instructional Notes

Sequencing, inclusion, and exclusion notes published for S21.95 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list.

Includes

Conditions the official ICD-10-CM tabular list includes under this code.

  • injuries of breast
  • injuries of chest (wall)
  • injuries of interscapular area

Excludes1 — Not Coded Here

Conditions generally not reported together with this code (Excludes1) -- an error unless the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

Excludes2 — Not Included Here

Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.

Code Also

Additional codes that may be required to fully describe the encounter.

  • any associated injury, such as:
  • injury of heart (S26.-)
  • injury of intrathoracic organs (S27.-)
  • rib fracture (S22.3-, S22.4-)
  • spinal cord injury (S24.0-, S24.1-)
  • traumatic hemopneumothorax (S27.3)
  • traumatic hemothorax (S27.1)
  • traumatic pneumothorax (S27.0)
  • wound infection

Indexed Clinical Terms (1)

Clinical term phrases from the official ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries that map to this code.

  • Bite (s) (animal) (human), thorax, thoracic (wall)

Frequently Compared Codes

The official Excludes notes on S21.95 name these codes. Each comparison page covers when the two can — or must not — be reported together.

Change history

No changes recorded for this code — unchanged since the FY2016 baseline of the change ledger.

Verify Before Coding

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

Relationships & Classification

Official ICD-10-CM tabular notes on other codes that name S21.95 or its code family.

1 Excludes1 notes: S20.97.

6 Code Also instructions: S23.1 (via S21.-), S24 (via S21.-), S25 (via S21.-), S26 (via S21.-), S27 (via S21.-), S29 (via S21.-).

Contextual Map

Every relationship of S21.95 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.

Hierarchy

  • S00-T88 — Chapter 19: Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88) (S00-T88) [Hierarchy]

Excludes1

  • S20.97 — Other superficial bite of unspecified parts of thorax [Excludes1]: “superficial bite of thorax (S20.97)” · check together

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

  • S20.97 — Other superficial bite of unspecified parts of thorax [Excludes1]: “open bite of thorax NOS (S21.95)” · check together

Referenced by Code Also instructions

  • S23.1 — Subluxation and dislocation of thoracic vertebra [Code Also](via S21.-): “open wound of thorax (S21.-)” · check together
  • S24 — Injury of nerves and spinal cord at thorax level [Code Also](via S21.-): “open wound of thorax (S21.-)” · check together
  • S25 — Injury of blood vessels of thorax [Code Also](via S21.-): “any associated open wound (S21.-)” · check together
  • S26 — Injury of heart [Code Also](via S21.-): “open wound of thorax (S21.-)” · check together
  • S27 — Injury of other and unspecified intrathoracic organs [Code Also](via S21.-): “any associated open wound of thorax (S21.-)” · check together
  • S29 — Other and unspecified injuries of thorax [Code Also](via S21.-): “any associated open wound (S21.-)” · check together

Index entries

  • Bite (s) (animal) (human), thorax, thoracic (wall)[Index term]

Nearest codes (40)

  • S21 — Open wound of thorax [Sibling]
  • S21.449A — Puncture wound with foreign body of unspecified back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity, initial encounter [Sibling]
  • S21.449D — Puncture wound with foreign body of unspecified back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity, subsequent encounter [Sibling]
  • S21.449S — Puncture wound with foreign body of unspecified back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity, sequela [Sibling]
  • S21.45 — Open bite of back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity [Sibling]
  • S21.451 — Open bite of right back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity [Sibling]
  • S21.451A — Open bite of right back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity, initial encounter [Sibling]
  • S21.451D — Open bite of right back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity, subsequent encounter [Sibling]
  • and 32 more

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Clinical Guidance

Can S21.95 be billed directly?

No. S21.95 (Open bite of unspecified part of thorax) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code. A more specific billable subcode must be selected based on clinical documentation.

Does S21.95 require a 7th character?

Yes. The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S21.

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to S21.95 in its code family, with their registry titles.

  • S21.93 — Puncture wound without foreign body of unspecified part of thorax
  • S21.93XA — Puncture wound without foreign body of unspecified part of thorax, initial encounter
  • S21.93XD — Puncture wound without foreign body of unspecified part of thorax, subsequent encounter
  • S21.93XS — Puncture wound without foreign body of unspecified part of thorax, sequela
  • S21.94 — Puncture wound with foreign body of unspecified part of thorax
  • S21.94XA — Puncture wound with foreign body of unspecified part of thorax, initial encounter
  • S21.94XD — Puncture wound with foreign body of unspecified part of thorax, subsequent encounter
  • S21.94XS — Puncture wound with foreign body of unspecified part of thorax, sequela
  • S21.95XA — Open bite of unspecified part of thorax, initial encounter
  • S21.95XD — Open bite of unspecified part of thorax, subsequent encounter

View all codes in the S21 family