W16.131A Fall into natural body of water striking side causing drowning and submersion, initial encounter

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026.

Built from W16.131 with 7th character A (initial encounter).

Applies from W16 Fall, jump or diving into water

Excludes1 (never code together)

• accidental non-watercraft drowning and submersion not involving fall (W65-W74)
• effects of air pressure from diving (W94.-)
• fall into water from watercraft (V90-V94)
• hitting an object or against bottom when falling from watercraft (V94.0)

Excludes2 (not included here)

• striking or hitting diving board (W21.4)

7th character note

• The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W16

7th character required

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

Applies from W16.1 Fall into natural body of water

Applicable to

• Fall into lake
• Fall into open sea
• Fall into river
• Fall into stream

Applies from W16.131 Fall into natural body of water striking side causing drowning and submersion

Excludes1 (never code together)

• drowning and submersion while in natural body of water without fall (W69)

Code annotations containing back-references to W16.131A

Back-references to W16.131

• Type 1 Excludes: W69 Accidental drowning and submersion while in natural water ("accidental drowning and submersion due to fall into natural body of water (W16.111, W16.121, W16.131)")

Back-references to W16

• Type 1 Excludes: V90 Drowning and submersion due to accident to watercraft ("fall into water not from watercraft (W16.-)")
• Type 1 Excludes: V92 Drowning and submersion due to accident on board watercraft, without accident to watercraft ("fall into water without watercraft (W16.-)")
• Use Additional: W21.4 Striking against diving board ("code for subsequent falling into water, if applicable (W16.-)")

Diagnosis Index entries for W16.131A

• Drowning (accidental) › following › fall › into › water NOS › natural (lake) (open sea) (river) (stream) (pond) › striking › side
• Drowning (accidental) › in › natural water (lake) (open sea) (river) (stream) (pond) › following › fall › striking › side
• Fall, falling (accidental) › into › water › in › natural body of water › striking › side › causing drowning
• Striking against › wall (when) › falling into water (in) › natural body › causing drowning

Nearby codes

• W16.122A Fall into natural body of water striking bottom causing other injury, initial encounter
• W16.122D Fall into natural body of water striking bottom causing other injury, subsequent encounter
• W16.122S Fall into natural body of water striking bottom causing other injury, sequela
• W16.13 Fall into natural body of water striking side
• W16.131 Fall into natural body of water striking side causing drowning and submersion
• W16.131A Fall into natural body of water striking side causing drowning and submersion, initial encounter (this code)
• W16.131D Fall into natural body of water striking side causing drowning and submersion, subsequent encounter
• W16.131S Fall into natural body of water striking side causing drowning and submersion, sequela
• W16.132 Fall into natural body of water striking side causing other injury
• W16.132A Fall into natural body of water striking side causing other injury, initial encounter
• W16.132D Fall into natural body of water striking side causing other injury, subsequent encounter