Excludes1 pair

G93.1 vs O74.3

G93.1 and O74.3 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 G93.1
cerebral anoxia due to anesthesia during labor and delivery (O74.3)
G93.1

Anoxic brain damage, not elsewhere classified

BillableUnspecified
Chapter 6
Diseases of the nervous system
Section
G89-G99
Indexed under
  • Anoxia › cerebral
  • Damage › brain › anoxic, hypoxic
O74.3

Central nervous system complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery

Billable
Chapter 15
Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium
Section
O60-O77
Indexed under
  • Complication › sedation during labor and delivery › central nervous system
  • Anoxia › cerebral › complicating › anesthesia or other sedation › in labor and delivery
  • Complication › anesthesia, anesthetic › central nervous system › in › labor and delivery

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