T71.9 Asphyxiation due to unspecified cause

Non-billable ICD-10-CM code.

Applicable to

• Suffocation (by strangulation) due to unspecified cause
• Suffocation NOS
• Systemic oxygen deficiency due to low oxygen content in ambient air due to unspecified cause
• Systemic oxygen deficiency due to mechanical threat to breathing due to unspecified cause
• Traumatic asphyxia NOS

Applies from T71 Asphyxiation

Applicable to

• Mechanical suffocation
• Traumatic suffocation

Excludes1 (never code together)

• acute respiratory distress (syndrome) (J80)
• anoxia due to high altitude (T70.2)
• asphyxia NOS (R09.01)
• asphyxia from carbon monoxide (T58.-)
• asphyxia from inhalation of food or foreign body (T17.-)
• asphyxia from other gases, fumes and vapors (T59.-)
• respiratory distress (syndrome) in newborn (P22.-)

7th character note

• The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T71

7th character required

• A — initial encounter
• D — subsequent encounter
• S — sequela

Code annotations containing back-references to T71.9

Back-references to T71

• Type 1 Excludes: R09.0 Asphyxia and hypoxemia ("traumatic asphyxia (T71.-)")

Diagnosis Index entries for T71.9

• Asphyxia, asphyxiation (by) › traumatic

Nearby codes

• T71.234S Asphyxiation due to being trapped in a (discarded) refrigerator, undetermined, sequela
• T71.29 Asphyxiation due to being trapped in other low oxygen environment
• T71.29XA Asphyxiation due to being trapped in other low oxygen environment, initial encounter
• T71.29XD Asphyxiation due to being trapped in other low oxygen environment, subsequent encounter
• T71.29XS Asphyxiation due to being trapped in other low oxygen environment, sequela
• T71.9 Asphyxiation due to unspecified cause (this code)
• T71.9XXA Asphyxiation due to unspecified cause, initial encounter
• T71.9XXD Asphyxiation due to unspecified cause, subsequent encounter
• T71.9XXS Asphyxiation due to unspecified cause, sequela