Revenue Cycle Insider

Note these new code sets for adverse reaction to dairy/eggs.

Coders in emergency departments (EDs) are going to have a lot of new codes to get used to on October 1. That’s the date ICD-10-CM 2026 goes into effect, and the new code sets have something extra for ED coders.

Like what? Dozens of new codes that could apply to patients presenting to the ED. There will be new diagnosis codes for external injuries like abdominal wall trauma; the new code book will also feature fresh diagnosis codes for adverse effects to certain drugs, as well as food products.

If you want to be ahead of the curve, start studying these ICD-10-CM codes now so you can hit the ground running in October.

Note These Contusion Codes

There will be a severe uptick in codes for contusions, abrasions, and blisters of several areas, particularly the abdominal wall and flank. These codes include S30.11- (Contusion of abdominal wall), S30.12- (Contusion of groin), and S30.13- (Contusion of flank (latus) region). Be sure to code to the furthest character possible when selecting these codes; all of them will go beyond the 5^th character.

Abdominal Wall, Flank Injuries Get Dx Update

As previously mentioned, the latest iteration of ICD-10-CM pays special attention to diagnosis codes for flank and abdominal wall injuries. For injuries to the flank, the new codes are in the S30.81- (Abrasion of abdomen, lower back, pelvis and external genitals) code family. The new 6-character codes, all of which will need a 7^th character, are:

• S30.81A- (Abrasion of flank)
• S30.82A- (Blister (nonthermal) of flank)
• S30.84A- (External constriction of flank)
• S30.85A- (Superficial foreign body of flank)
• S30.86A- (Insect bite (nonvenomous) of flank)
• S30.87A- (Other superficial bite of flank)
• S30.9A- (Unspecified superficial injury of flank)

ICD-10-CM 2026 contains more than 25 new 6-character codes for abdominal wall injuries, all of which have multiple 7^th-character options for complete diagnosis coding. That’s too many codes to list here; however, here is a smattering of the new abdominal wall injury codes:

• S31.106- (Unspecified open wound of abdominal wall, right flank without penetration into peritoneal cavity)
• S31.116- (Laceration without foreign body of abdominal wall, right flank without penetration into peritoneal cavity)
• S31.126- (Laceration with foreign body of abdominal wall, right flank without penetration into peritoneal cavity)
• S31.136- (Puncture wound of abdominal wall without foreign body, right flank without penetration into peritoneal cavity)
• S31.146- (Puncture wound of abdominal wall with foreign body, right flank without penetration into peritoneal cavity)
• S31.156- (Open bite of abdominal wall, right flank without penetration into peritoneal cavity)
• S31.616- (Laceration without foreign body of abdominal wall, right flank with penetration into peritoneal cavity)
• S31.626- (Laceration with foreign body of abdominal wall, right flank with penetration into peritoneal cavity)
• S31.636- (Puncture wound of abdominal wall without foreign body, right flank with penetration into peritoneal cavity)
• S31.646- (Puncture wound of abdominal wall with foreign body, right flank with penetration into peritoneal cavity)
• S31.656- (Open bite of abdominal wall, right flank with penetration into peritoneal cavity)

Note Adverse Effect Codes for These Drugs

If a patient suffers an adverse effect from fluoroquinolone antibiotics or xylazine, ICD-10-CM is introducing new adverse effect code sets for both drugs, including codes for accidental and intentional poisonings and underdosing situations.

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are used to treat many bacterial infections, especially those caused by gram-negative bacteria. Among the most common are urinary tract infections (UTIs), gastrointestinal tract infections, respiratory infections, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The new base code for these adverse effects is T36.A- (Poisoning by, adverse effect of and underdosing of fluoroquinolone antibiotics). In addition to T36.A-, here are some of the new codes you’ll want to familiarize yourself with for ICD-10-CM 2026:

• T36.AX1- (Poisoning by fluoroquinolone antibiotics, accidental (unintentional))
• T36.AX2- (Poisoning by fluoroquinolone antibiotics, intentional self-harm)
• T36.AX3- (Poisoning by fluoroquinolone antibiotics, assault)
• T36.AX4- (Poisoning by fluoroquinolone antibiotics, undetermined)
• T36.AX5- (Adverse effect of fluoroquinolone antibiotics)
• T36.AX6- (Underdosing of fluoroquinolone antibiotics)

While fluoroquinolone antibiotics are used to treat infections, xylazine isn’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat anything. The drug is a non-opioid sedative typically used in veterinary medicine. Xylazine is often used illicitly in combination with opioids, especially fentanyl.

The new base code for these adverse effects is T65.84- (Toxic effect of xylazine). In addition to T65.84-, here are some of the xylazine-related ICD-10-CM codes that you’ll have to choose from on October 1:

• T65.841- (Toxic effect of xylazine, accidental (unintentional))
• T65.842- (Toxic effect of xylazine, intentional self-harm)
• T65.843- (Toxic effect of xylazine, assault)
• T65.844- (Toxic effect of xylazine, undetermined)

New Codes Coming for Dairy/Egg Reactions

People who have adverse (often anaphylactic) reactions to food products can turn up in EDs, and ICD-10-CM 2026 will unveil more specific codes to identify these conditions. Most of the codes involve adverse effects from ingesting dairy or egg products.

The first of these new codes is T78.070- (Anaphylactic reaction due to milk and dairy products with tolerance to baked milk) for dairy products. In addition to T78.070-, other codes for adverse effect of milk and dairy products include:

• T78.071- (Anaphylactic reaction due to milk and dairy products with reactivity to baked milk)
• T78.079- (Anaphylactic reaction due to milk and dairy products, unspecified)
• T78.110- (Other adverse food reactions due to milk and dairy products with tolerance to baked milk)
• T78.111- (Other adverse food reaction due to milk and dairy products with reactivity to baked milk)

The codes for adverse reaction to egg products begin with T78.080- (Anaphylactic reaction due to egg with tolerance to baked egg). In addition to T78.080-, here are some of the other 2026 codes that reflect the condition:

• T78.081- (Anaphylactic reaction due to egg with reactivity to baked egg)
• T78.089- (Anaphylactic reaction due to eggs, unspecified)
• T78.120- (Other adverse food reaction due to egg with tolerance to baked egg)
• T78.121- (Other adverse food reaction due to egg with reactivity to baked egg)
• T78.129- (Other adverse food reaction due to egg with baked egg tolerance/reactivity, unspecified)

You can access the full list of ICD-10-CM code revisions for 2026 by going to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) June 6 announcement.

Chris Boucher, MS, CPC, Senior Development Editor, AAPC