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W74 ICD-10-CM Code: Unspecified cause of accidental drowning and submersion

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Billing Status: NO. This is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code: report a more specific billable code beneath it.

Coding at a Glance

7th character
Required — characters A · D · S
Tabular directives
1 inclusion term · 2 Excludes1 · 1 Excludes2

Category · FY2027A non-billable heading in the tabular list: report a more specific code beneath it.

What you need to know

Source: CMS/NCHS Official ICD-10-CM tabular notes, quoted. From the CMS/NCHS tabular list for the release in force. A note the category or block publishes applies to this code too; the Instructions section marks which is which.

Excludes1Never report with this code
  • accidental drowning and submersion due to fall into water (W16.-)
  • accidental drowning and submersion due to water transport accident (V90.-, V92.-)
Excludes2Not included here; may be reported together
  • accidental drowning and submersion due to cataclysm (X34-X39)
IncludesWhat this code covers
  • Drowning NOS

Most relevant related codes MedCoder-derived

Read off the official notes above and this code’s own position in the tabular list. Which to report is a documentation question; Compare shows the two side by side.

CompareCheck ClaimView Related Codes

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for W74 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2027Effective: October 1, 2026

Trace:FY2027 changesChange historyRelease, file and checksum

Notes without a marker are published on W74 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Inclusion Terms

Alternative terms the tabular list files under this code.

  • Drowning NOS

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).

Source: inherited from W65-W74

Excludes2 — Not Included Here

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

Source: inherited from W65-W74

7th Character Guide

"The appropriate 7th character is to be added to code W74"

  • A — initial encounter
  • D — subsequent encounter
  • S — sequela

How the encounter character is assigned. “Initial encounter” means the patient is receiving active treatment for the condition — it is not limited to the first visit, and a different or new provider giving active treatment still assigns it. “Subsequent encounter” covers care during the healing or recovery phase after active treatment. “Sequela” is for complications or conditions that arise as a direct result of the original condition.

ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, Section I.C.19.a (paraphrased by MedCoder).

Variant codes in this family

W74.XXXA, W74.XXXD, W74.XXXS

Character meanings are CMS's official 7th-character extensions for this family, as carried in each variant code's official description; variant codes are registry rows. The explanation of how the encounter character is assigned is MedCoder editorial, distinct from the official content above it.

Coder workflow for W74

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

Before you code W74

  1. W74 is not reportable as written. Select the more specific code beneath it that the documentation supports. Codes are reported to the highest level of specificity the classification provides (Guidelines I.B.2).

    ReviewW74.XXXA, W74.XXXD, W74.XXXS

    See the relationships section · Guide: How to choose an ICD-10-CM code →

  2. Unspecified does not mean incorrect. When the record gives no greater specificity, W74 may be the appropriate code. Check the record for detail that supports a more specific sibling. An unspecified code is for records that do not provide the detail a more specific code needs; a query, not an assumption, is the route to specificity (Guidelines I.A.9.b, I.B.18).

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

  3. A 7th character is required in this family. Confirm the documented encounter: initial (active treatment), subsequent (healing or recovery phase), or sequela. W74 is not valid without one. “Initial” means active treatment, not the first visit (Guidelines I.C.19.a).

    See the 7th Character Guide · Guide: 7th characters: initial, subsequent, sequela →

  4. An external cause code is reported in addition to the code for the injury or condition, never as the principal or first-listed diagnosis. Confirm the cause, intent, place of occurrence, activity and status where the record documents them, and assign the 7th character that matches the injury code. External cause coding guidelines (Guidelines I.C.20.a).

  5. Check the Excludes1 note: if the documentation supports a condition named there, do not simply proceed with W74. 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 one of the more specific codes beneath W74?
    Yes → Select that code and continue the checks below on its own page.
    No → W74 cannot be reported as written; query for the specificity its subcategory needs.

    ReviewW74.XXXA, W74.XXXD, W74.XXXS

  2. Does the record document the detail a more specific sibling code needs?
    Yes → Review the specific siblings in this subcategory.
    No → Continue — W74 is appropriate when the documentation goes no further.
  3. Does the documentation support a condition named in W74’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.

    ReviewW16, V90, V92

  4. Is the encounter phase documented — active treatment, healing or recovery, or a sequela?
    Yes → Assign the matching 7th character; the variant codes are in the 7th Character Guide.
    No → The code is invalid without its 7th character — query for the missing element.

Consider W74. 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).
Encounter type
Active treatment, healing or recovery phase, or sequela — the basis of the 7th character (Guidelines I.C.19.a).
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 W74(2 notes)

    Coding workflow: If the documentation supports a condition named in this note, do not simply proceed with W74: the two are not reported together. The one exception is when the record shows the two conditions are unrelated to each other.

    CompareW16, V90, V92

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

  • Excludes2 — not part of W74(1 note)

    Coding workflow: The conditions named in this note are not included in W74. When the record documents both, both may be reported; the note is a boundary, not a prohibition.

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

Coding decision scenarios

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

Documentation: The provider documents the condition in the terms of this code’s title and records no further detail.

Coding question: Is a more specific sibling code supportable?

Path: Review the subcategory for a sibling that names the missing detail.

Reason: A more specific code needs documentation of the distinguishing element; without it the unspecified code is appropriate, and a provider query is the route to specificity (Guidelines I.A.9.b, I.B.18).

Documentation: Both the condition W74 describes and a condition named in its Excludes1 note are documented for the same encounter.

Coding question: Can both codes be reported?

Path: Review the Excludes1 note and the excluded code, and look for a provider statement on whether the two conditions are related.

Reason: Excludes1 means the two are not coded together; the exception is when the record shows the conditions are unrelated to each other (Guidelines I.A.12.a).

ReviewW16, V90, V92

Documentation: The patient returns during the healing or recovery phase after active treatment of the same condition.

Coding question: Which 7th character applies?

Path: Review the official 7th-character definitions for this family in the 7th Character Guide.

Reason: “Initial encounter” means active treatment, not the first visit; care during recovery takes “subsequent encounter”, and a complication arising from the original condition takes “sequela” (Guidelines I.C.19.a).

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.

Don’t confuse W74 with…

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

The codes most likely to be picked instead of W74 — 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.

  • W16— 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 accidental drowning and submersion due to fall into water moves the case to W16; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: W74 vs W16 →

  • V90— 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 accidental drowning and submersion due to water transport accident moves the case to V90; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: W74 vs V90 →

  • V92— 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 accidental drowning and submersion due to water transport accident moves the case to V92; the two are not reported together unless documented as unrelated.

    Full comparison: W74 vs V92 →

  • W74.XXXA— Encounter relationship (Review)

    Same underlying diagnosis, different encounter phase.

    The same diagnosis at a different phase of care; one encounter takes one 7th character.

    What moves you there: Documentation of a initial encounter moves the case to W74.XXXA.

    Full comparison: W74 vs W74.XXXA →

  • W74.XXXD— Encounter relationship (Review)

    Same underlying diagnosis, different encounter phase.

    The same diagnosis at a different phase of care; one encounter takes one 7th character.

    What moves you there: Documentation of a subsequent encounter moves the case to W74.XXXD.

    Full comparison: W74 vs W74.XXXD →

  • X34— Excludes2 relationship (Informational)

    Distinct conditions — both may be reported.

    A distinct condition — both may be reported when both are documented.

    What moves you there: Documentation of accidental drowning and submersion due to cataclysm adds X34; it is not part of this code and both may be reported when both are documented.

    Full comparison: W74 vs X34 →

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.

Coding context

Guidelines, coding notes, decision aids, relationships (with MS-DRG and CCSR classification), hierarchy, HCC, coverage and the context map: what a coder reaches for after the core. Each section names whether it is official source data, a MedCoder-derived relationship or MedCoder editorial.

Code Overview

Unspecified cause of accidental drowning and submersion is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (W74). A more specific billable subcode must be selected for claims submission.

MedCoder summary Summary composed by MedCoder from this code's official ICD-10-CM record. The tabular instructional notes themselves appear verbatim below.

Decision Points

The directives on this code's own record, as a pre-claim checklist.

  1. A 7th character applies in this family. Confirm the documented encounter matches the character assigned. See the official 7th-character definitions and this code’s variants
  2. 2 Excludes1 entries — codes named there are generally not reported together with this code (Guidelines I.A.12.a). See the Excludes1 notes
  3. 1 Excludes2 entry — those conditions are not part of this code and may be reported additionally when documented. See the Excludes2 notes

Checklist rows are derived from this code's own official directives; the wording of each check is MedCoder editorial. The official notes themselves are in the sections each row links to.

Verify Before Coding

  • Not billable as written — a more specific code is required: W74.XXXA, W74.XXXD, W74.XXXS.
  • Requires a 7th character. "The appropriate 7th character is to be added to code W74" Options: W74.XXXA, W74.XXXD, W74.XXXS
  • Principal-diagnosis restriction. External cause of morbidity codes (V, W, X and Y) describe the circumstance that caused an injury, not the condition treated. The Medicare Code Editor rejects them as a principal diagnosis; sequence the injury or condition first and report this code as secondary.

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-derived relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name W74 or its code family, from the CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes. Tabular-note edges are stored at the code family level that carries each note.

Referenced by 1 Excludes1 note: W16 — Fall, jump or diving into water.

These codes’ tabular lists mark this diagnosis as mutually exclusive — not reported together unless the conditions are documented as unrelated.

Contextual Map

Every relationship of W74 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 W74 with these 9 related codes in Claim Check

Hierarchy

Excludes1

Excludes2

  • X34 — Earthquake[Excludes2]: “accidental drowning and submersion due to cataclysm (X34-X39)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027
  • X35 — Volcanic eruption[Excludes2]: “accidental drowning and submersion due to cataclysm (X34-X39)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027
  • X36 — Avalanche, landslide and other earth movements[Excludes2]: “accidental drowning and submersion due to cataclysm (X34-X39)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027
  • X37 — Cataclysmic storm[Excludes2]: “accidental drowning and submersion due to cataclysm (X34-X39)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027
  • X38 — Flood[Excludes2]: “accidental drowning and submersion due to cataclysm (X34-X39)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027
  • X39 — Exposure to other forces of nature[Excludes2]: “accidental drowning and submersion due to cataclysm (X34-X39)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027

Referenced by Excludes1 notes

  • W16 — Fall, jump or diving into water[Excludes1]: “accidental non-watercraft drowning and submersion not involving fall (W65-W74)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2027

External cause index

  • Drowning (accidental)[External cause term]— CMS External Cause of Injuries Index · icd10cm-fy2027

Nearest codes

Change history

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

Reference

Index terms and tables, published questions and FAQ, every source behind this page with its release and checksum, the date-of-service check and the complete change history.

Indexed As (1)

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

Circumstance phrases from the official ICD-10-CM External Cause of Injuries Index that map to this code.

  • Drowning (accidental)

Common coding questions

MedCoder editorial

Can W74 be billed directly?

No. W74 (Unspecified cause of accidental drowning and submersion) is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code. A more specific billable subcode must be selected based on clinical documentation.

Does W74 require a 7th character?

Yes. The appropriate 7th character is to be added to code W74; A: initial encounter; D: subsequent encounter; S: sequela.

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 FY2027 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2026 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page
Claim edits Official source data
CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v44.0 (October 2026) 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-derived 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 editorial 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.

Current data releases:ICD-10-CM FY2027 · ICD-10-PCS FY2027 · HCPCS October 2026 · MS-DRG v44 · Medicare Code Editor v44.0 · NCCI PTP Q4 2026 · MUE Q4 2026 · NCD code lists 2026-01 · LCD export September 28, 2026 · All releases and sources

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder-derived relationship · MedCoder editorial explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates · CMS coding rules

Cite this page

Reference this page in a research guide, syllabus or article. The release is included because code content changes each year.

MedCoder.ai. "W74 — Unspecified cause of accidental drowning and submersion." ICD-10-CM FY2027. https://medcoder.ai/icd10/code/w74-unspecified-cause-of-accidental-drowning-and-submersion

Change history

  • FY2016 — October 1, 2015
    In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption
    Unspecified cause of accidental drowning and submersion

No changes since FY2016 — additions, deletions, description changes and billable-status changes are tracked through FY2027, and none are recorded for this code. Note changes are tracked from FY2027 only.

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to W74 in its code family, with their registry titles.