O70 vs O71.4
O70 and O71.4 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 O70
obstetric high vaginal laceration alone (O71.4)
O70
Perineal laceration during delivery
Not billable
- Chapter 15
- Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium
- Section
- O60-O77
Use when the record says
- episiotomy extended by laceration
O71.4
Obstetric high vaginal laceration alone
Billable
- Chapter 15
- Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium
- Section
- O60-O77
Use when the record says
- Laceration of vaginal wall without perineal laceration
Indexed under
- Laceration › vagina › during delivery
- Perforation, perforated › vagina › obstetrical trauma (nontraumatic) (of)
- Injury › instrumental › obstetrical › high vaginal
- Delivery › complicated › by › laceration › rectovaginal (childbirth) (labor)
- Delivery › complicated › by › laceration › vagina, vaginal (childbirth) (labor)
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