Excludes1 pair

F32- vs R40.1

F32 and R40.1 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 R40.1
depressive stupor (F31.-, F32.-, F33.-)
F32

Depressive episode

Not billable
Chapter 5
Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders
Section
F30-F39
Use when the record says
  • single episode of agitated depression
  • single episode of depressive reaction
  • single episode of major depression
  • single episode of psychogenic depression
  • single episode of reactive depression
  • single episode of vital depression
R40.1

Stupor

Billable
Chapter 18
Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified
Section
R40-R46
Use when the record says
  • Catatonic stupor
  • Semicoma
Indexed under
  • Clouded state
  • Semicoma
  • Stupor (catatonic)
  • Catatonic › stupor

These two codes sit in different chapters of the Tabular List, which is usually the clearest signal that they describe different underlying processes rather than different degrees of the same one.

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