E40 — Kwashiorkor
Is E40 billable?
Yes — E40 is billable for FY2027. E40 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. E40 may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
E40 at a glance
| Code | E40 |
|---|---|
| Description | Kwashiorkor |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does E40 group to?
E40 sits in MDC 10 and helps define the logic of 2 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 640Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and Electrolytes with MCCmedical
- 641Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and Electrolytes without MCCmedical
As a secondary diagnosis, E40 is a major complication or comorbidity (MCC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.
How is E40 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to E40. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Kwashiorkor
- Pluricarential syndrome of infancy
- Polycarential syndrome of infancy
- Malnutrition › malignant
- Syndrome › pluricarential of infancy
- Syndrome › plurideficiency
- Syndrome › polycarential of infancy
- Edema, edematous › nutritional › with dyspigmentation, skin and hair (infectious) (pitting) (toxic)
- Malnutrition › severe › with › kwashiorkor
- Malnutrition › degree › severe › with › kwashiorkor
- Malnutrition › protein › calorie › severe › with › kwashiorkor
- Malnutrition › protein › energy › severe › with › kwashiorkor
Excludes1 — never code together
The conditions below can never be reported together with E40 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- marasmic kwashiorkor (E42)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to E40.
- Severe malnutrition with nutritional edema with dyspigmentation of skin and hair
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from Chapter 4
The conditions below can never be reported together with E40 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- transitory endocrine and metabolic disorders specific to newborn (P70-P74)
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from E40-E46
The conditions below can never be reported together with E40 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from E40-E46
The conditions below are not part of E40, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, E40 and the excluded code may both be reported.
How long has E40 existed?
E40 has been in ICD-10-CM since at least FY2016, the earliest fiscal year on record here.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.
Which codes are confused with E40?
ICD-10-CM declares these codes mutually exclusive with E40 — exactly one of each pair can be correct for a given encounter.