Excludes1 pair
I73- vs I96
I73 and I96 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 I96
gangrene in other peripheral vascular diseases (I73.-)
I73
Other peripheral vascular diseases
Not billable
- Chapter 9
- Diseases of the circulatory system
- Section
- I70-I79
I96
Gangrene, not elsewhere classified
BillableUnspecified
- Chapter 9
- Diseases of the circulatory system
- Section
- I95-I99
Use when the record says
- Gangrenous cellulitis
Indexed under
- Acrosphacelus
- Gangrene, gangrenous (connective tissue) (dropsical) (dry) (moist) (skin) (ulcer)
- Gangrene, gangrenous › abdomen (wall)
- Gangrene, gangrenous › auricle
- Gangrene, gangrenous › cutaneous, spreading
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