Excludes1 pair
A81.1 vs B05-
A81.1 and B05 are not coded together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note — the two conditions are not expected to occur together, so exactly one of them is normally correct for a given encounter. The Official Guidelines carve out one exception: if the two conditions are clearly unrelated to each other, both may be reported.
The official note, declared on B05
subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (A81.1)
A81.1
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
Billable
- Chapter 1
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
- Section
- A80-A89
Use when the record says
- Dawson's inclusion body encephalitis
- Van Bogaert's sclerosing leukoencephalopathy
Indexed under
- Bodechtel-Guttman disease (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis)
- Dawson's encephalitis (inclusion body)
- Panencephalitis, subacute, sclerosing
- Van Bogaert's leukoencephalopathy (sclerosing) (subacute)
- Disease, diseased › Bodechtel-Guttmann (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis)
B05
Measles
Not billable
- Chapter 1
- Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
- Section
- B00-B09
Use when the record says
- morbilli
Excludes1 is not always absolute: where two conditions covered by the note are genuinely unrelated, CMS guidance permits reporting both. Document the reasoning rather than assuming it. More on Excludes1 vs Excludes2 · FY2027