O68 — Labor and delivery complicated by abnormality of fetal acid-base balance
Is O68 billable?
Yes — O68 is billable for FY2027. O68 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. O68 may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
O68 at a glance
| Code | O68 |
|---|---|
| Description | Labor and delivery complicated by abnormality of fetal acid-base balance |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does O68 group to?
O68 sits in MDC 14 and helps define the logic of 1 MS-DRG (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 998—
As a secondary diagnosis, O68 is a complication or comorbidity (CC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.
How is O68 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to O68. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Pregnancy › complicated by › fetal › acidemia (single) (uterine)
- Pregnancy › complicated by › fetal › acidosis (single) (uterine)
- Pregnancy › complicated by › fetal › alkalosis (single) (uterine)
- Delivery › complicated › by › fetal › abnormal acid-base balance (childbirth) (labor)
- Delivery › complicated › by › fetal › acidemia (childbirth) (labor)
- Delivery › complicated › by › fetal › acidosis (childbirth) (labor)
- Delivery › complicated › by › fetal › alkalosis (childbirth) (labor)
- Pregnancy › complicated by › fetal › abnormality or damage › acid-base balance (single) (uterine)
Excludes1 — never code together
The conditions below can never be reported together with O68 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
The conditions below are not part of O68, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, O68 and the excluded code may both be reported.
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to O68.
- Fetal acidemia complicating labor and delivery
- Fetal acidosis complicating labor and delivery
- Fetal alkalosis complicating labor and delivery
- Fetal metabolic acidemia complicating labor and delivery
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from Chapter 15
The conditions below can never be reported together with O68 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- supervision of normal pregnancy (Z34.-)
Use additional code — inherited from Chapter 15
Report an additional code alongside O68 to fully describe the condition. O68 is sequenced first.
- code, if applicable, from category Z3A, Weeks of gestation, to identify the specific week of the pregnancy, if known.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 15
The conditions below are not part of O68, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, O68 and the excluded code may both be reported.
How long has O68 existed?
O68 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 O68?
ICD-10-CM declares these codes mutually exclusive with O68 — exactly one of each pair can be correct for a given encounter.