T70.0 — Otitic barotrauma

Not billable

Is T70.0 billable?

No — T70.0 is a non-billable header code. T70.0 groups more specific codes and cannot be submitted on a claim. A valid ICD-10-CM code must be reported at the highest level of specificity available in its branch. Select one of the 3 billable codes beneath T70.0.

Billable codes under this header

T70.0 at a glance

Code	T70.0
Description	Otitic barotrauma
Billable	No — header code
Code set	ICD-10-CM FY2027
Valid for encounters	October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027

How is T70.0 listed in the Alphabetic Index?

These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to T70.0. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.

Aero-otitis media
Aerotitis
Barotitis
Aviator's › ear
Barotrauma › otitic
Deafness › aviation (acquired) (complete) (hereditary) (partial)
Effect, adverse › high altitude NEC › on › ears
High › altitude effects › on › ears

Inclusion terms

Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to T70.0.

Aero-otitis media
Effects of change in ambient atmospheric pressure or water pressure on ears

Use additional code — inherited from Chapter 19

Report an additional code alongside T70.0 to fully describe the condition. T70.0 is sequenced first.

code to identify any retained foreign body, if applicable (Z18.-)

Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 19

The conditions below are not part of T70.0, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, T70.0 and the excluded code may both be reported.

birth trauma (P10-P15)
obstetric trauma (O70-O71)

Code also — inherited from T66-T78

Two codes may be needed to describe the condition fully. Whether T70.0 is sequenced first depends on the reason for the encounter.

, if applicable, place of occurrence, such as:
highway rest stop (Y92.523)
school (private) (public) (state) as the place of occurrence of the external cause (Y92.21-)
service areas as the place of occurrence of the external cause (Y92.52-)
single-family non-institutional (private) house as the place of occurrence of the external cause (Y92.01-)
transport vehicle as the place of occurrence of the external cause (Y92.81-)

What codes fall under T70.0? (3)

How long has T70.0 existed?

T70.0 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 T70.0?

ICD-10-CM declares these codes mutually exclusive with T70.0 — exactly one of each pair can be correct for a given encounter.

vs H65.1Other acute nonsuppurative otitis media