ICD-10-CM Code T70.3
Caisson disease [decompression sickness]

NON-BILLABLE

Non-Billable Code

Non-Billable means the code is not sufficient justification for admission to an acute care hospital when used a principal diagnosis. Use a child code to capture more detail.

7th Character Required

Code requires 7th Character Extension identifier. This 7th Character usually captures Episode of Care information, such as "Initial Encounter," "Subsquent Encounter," or "Sequela."

| ICD-10 from 2011 - 2016

ICD Code T70.3 is a non-billable code. To code a diagnosis of this type, you must use specify a 7th character that describes the diagnosis 'caisson disease [decompression sickness]' in more detail. The 7th characters that can be added, and the resulting billable codes, are as follows:

7th Digit	Billable Code	7th Digit Specifies
A	T70.3XXA	initial encounter
D	T70.3XXD	subsequent encounter
S	T70.3XXS	sequela

What is 7th Character Extension?

For codes less than 6 characters that require a 7th character a placeholder 'X' should be assigned for all characters less than 6. The 7th character must always be the 7th position of a code. E.g. The ICD-10-CM code T67.4 (Heat exhaustion due to salt depletion) requires an Episode of Care identifier. T67.4XXA Initial Encounter or T67.4XXD Subsequent Encounter. More Info

The ICD code T703 is used to code Decompression sickness

Decompression sickness (DCS; also known as divers' disease, the bends or caisson disease) describes a condition arising from dissolved gases coming out of solution into bubbles inside the body on depressurisation. DCS most commonly refers to problems arising from underwater diving decompression (i.e., during ascent), but may be experienced in other depressurisation events such as working in a caisson, flying in unpressurised aircraft, and extra-vehicular activity from spacecraft.

Specialty:	Emergency Medicine
ICD 9 Code:	993.3

Two United States Navy sailors prepare for training inside a decompression chamber.

Source: Wikipedia

Coding Notes for T70.3 Info for medical coders on how to properly use this ICD-10 code

Inclusion Terms: Inclusion Terms Inclusion Terms are a list of concepts for which a specific code is used. The list of Inclusion Terms is useful for determining the correct code in some cases, but the list is not necessarily exhaustive.: Compressed-air disease; Diver's palsy or paralysis

Related Concepts SNOMET-CT

Decompression sickness type II (disorder)

Coding Advice SNOMET-CT

Episode of care information needed
Possible requirement for an external cause code

ICD-10-CM Alphabetical Index References for 'T70.3 - Caisson disease [decompression sickness]'

The ICD-10-CM Alphabetical Index links the below-listed medical terms to the ICD code T70.3. Click on any term below to browse the alphabetical index.

Squeeze, diver's (T70.3)

Decompression sickness (T70.3)

Diver's palsy, paralysis or squeeze (T70.3)

Dysbarism (T70.3)

Caisson disease (T70.3)

Chokes(resulting from bends) (T70.3)

Compressed air disease (T70.3)

Bends (T70.3)

Aerobullosis (T70.3)

Aeroembolism (T70.3)

Disease, diseased (see: Syndrome) +

Effect, adverse +