Excludes1 pair
O32.1- vs O32.8-
O32.1 and O32.8 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 O32.1
footling presentation (O32.8)
O32.1
Maternal care for breech presentation
Not billable
- Chapter 15
- Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium
- Section
- O30-O48
Use when the record says
- Maternal care for buttocks presentation
- Maternal care for complete breech
- Maternal care for frank breech
Indexed under
- Breech presentation (mother)
- Delivery › cesarean › breech presentation
- Pregnancy › complicated by › breech presentation
- Delivery › complicated › by › malposition, malpresentation › without obstruction › breech
O32.8
Maternal care for other malpresentation of fetus
Not billable
- Chapter 15
- Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium
- Section
- O30-O48
Use when the record says
- Maternal care for footling presentation
- Maternal care for incomplete breech
Indexed under
- Breech presentation › footling
- Breech presentation › incomplete
- Delivery › cesarean › breech presentation › incomplete
- Delivery › complicated › by › prolapse › foot or leg
- Delivery › complicated › by › malposition, malpresentation › without obstruction › footling
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