S21.1 — Open wound of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity
S21.1 is a non-billable header ICD-10-CM code for open wound of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity. It cannot be billed on its own: choose one of the more specific child codes below. This code also requires a 7th character before it is complete.
This code requires a 7th character
The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category S21
- A
- initial encounter
- D
- subsequent encounter
- S
- sequela
Inclusion terms
Alternative wordings a physician may use in the chart for this same code.
- Open wound of chest without penetration into thoracic cavity
Other codes that can never be billed with S21.1
These codes carry an Excludes1 note pointing at S21.1. The conflict binds both ways, but ICD-10-CM only writes it down on one side — so you would not find this by reading S21.1 alone.
- S20.37Other superficial bite of front wall of thorax
Risk adjustment
S21.1 does not map to an HCC and does not risk-adjust under CMS-HCC V28. That is normal — most ICD-10 codes do not. It still needs to be coded correctly; it just will not move a RAF score.
Code to one of these instead S21.1
6 child codes. Green means billable.
- S21.10Unspecified open wound of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity
- S21.11Laceration without foreign body of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity
- S21.12Laceration with foreign body of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity
- S21.13Puncture wound without foreign body of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity
- S21.14Puncture wound with foreign body of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity
- S21.15Open bite of front wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity
Related codes at this level
Codes that share S21. If S21.1 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.
- S21.0Open wound of breast
- S21.2Open wound of back wall of thorax without penetration into thoracic cavity
- S21.3Open wound of front wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity
- S21.4Open wound of back wall of thorax with penetration into thoracic cavity
- S21.9Open wound of unspecified part of thorax
Questions about S21.1
- Is S21.1 a billable ICD-10-CM code?
- No. S21.1 is a non-billable header code. Code to a higher level of specificity using one of its child codes.
- Where does S21.1 sit in the tabular list?
- Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88), in the block Injuries to the thorax (S20-S29).