H65.1 vs T70.0
H65.1 and T70.0 can never be reported together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note, meaning the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient — so exactly one of them is correct for any given encounter.
The official note, declared on H65.1
otitic barotrauma (T70.0)
H65.1
Other acute nonsuppurative otitis media
Not billable
- Chapter 8
- Diseases of the ear and mastoid process
- Section
- H65-H75
T70.0
Otitic barotrauma
Not billable
- Chapter 19
- Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes
- Section
- T66-T78
Use when the record says
- Aero-otitis media
- Effects of change in ambient atmospheric pressure or water pressure on ears
Indexed under
- Aero-otitis media
- Aerotitis
- Barotitis
- Aviator's › ear
- Barotrauma › otitic
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