T21.1CurrentCategory · further specificity required

Burn of first degree of trunk

Code-level instructions

Use additional code

external cause code to identify the source, place and intent of the burn (X00-X19, X75-X77, X96-X98, Y92)

Chapters 19 · Inherited instructions

Use additional code

code to identify any retained foreign body, if applicable (Z18.-)

T20-T25 · Inherited instructions

Use additional code

code from category T31 or T32 to identify extent of body surface involved

T21 · Inherited instructions

A — initial encounter

D — subsequent encounter

S — sequela

Excludes 2 · 8

Chapters 19 · Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)

Excludes 2

birth trauma (P10-P15)
obstetric trauma (O70-O71)

T20-T32 · Burns and corrosions (T20-T32)

Excludes 2

erythema [dermatitis] ab igne (L59.0)
radiation-related disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L55-L59)
sunburn (L55.-)

T21 · Burn and corrosion of trunk

Excludes 2

burns and corrosion of axilla (T22.- with fifth character 4)
burns and corrosion of scapular region (T22.- with fifth character 6)
burns and corrosion of shoulder (T22.- with fifth character 5)

More specific codes

T21.10Burn of first degree of trunk, unspecified site T21.11Burn of first degree of chest wall T21.12Burn of first degree of abdominal wall T21.13Burn of first degree of upper back T21.14Burn of first degree of lower back T21.15Burn of first degree of buttock T21.16Burn of first degree of male genital region T21.17Burn of first degree of female genital region T21.19Burn of first degree of other site of trunk

Claims & coverage

When ICD-10-CM is required

For US diagnosis claims covered by HIPAA, ICD-10-CM is required from October 1, 2015.

Use the service date for outpatient/professional claims and the discharge date for hospital inpatient claims. Earlier encounters use ICD-9-CM; each individual code must also be valid for the applicable date.

Official coding guidelines → · CMS ↗

First observed · 2015-10-01

Code history

Latest recorded change · FY2025 · 04-01

ChangedUnchanged

FY2025 · 04-01

Effective from 2025-04-01

Inherited rules changed

Burn of first degree of trunk

Category — select a more specific code

CDC/NCHS · FY2025 · 04-01

All editions (19)

All editions	Effective from	Code history
FY2016	2015-10-01	First observed
FY2017	2016-10-01	No tabular change
FY2018	2017-10-01	No tabular change
FY2019	2018-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020	2019-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020 · April	2020-04-01	No tabular change
FY2021	2020-10-01	No tabular change
FY2021 · 01-01	2021-01-01	No tabular change
FY2022	2021-10-01	No tabular change
FY2022 · 04-01	2022-04-01	No tabular change
FY2023	2022-10-01	No tabular change
FY2023 · 04-01	2023-04-01	No tabular change
FY2024	2023-10-01	No tabular change
FY2024 · 04-01	2024-04-01	No tabular change
FY2025	2024-10-01	No tabular change
FY2025 · 04-01	2025-04-01	Inherited rules changed
FY2026	2025-10-01	No tabular change
FY2026 · April	2026-04-01	No tabular change
FY2027	2026-10-01	No tabular change

Code-level instructions

Use additional code

external cause code to identify the source, place and intent of the burn (X00-X19, X75-X77, X96-X98, Y92)

Inherited instructions

Chapters 19 · Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)

Excludes 2

birth trauma (P10-P15)
obstetric trauma (O70-O71)

Use additional code

code to identify any retained foreign body, if applicable (Z18.-)

Note

Use secondary code(s) from Chapter 20, External causes of morbidity, to indicate cause of injury. Codes within the T section that include the external cause do not require an additional external cause code
The chapter uses the S-section for coding different types of injuries related to single body regions and the T-section to cover injuries to unspecified body regions as well as poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes.

T20-T25 · Burns and corrosions of external body surface, specified by site (T20-T25)

Includes

burns and corrosions of first degree [erythema]
burns and corrosions of second degree [blisters][epidermal loss]
burns and corrosions of third degree [deep necrosis of underlying tissue] [full- thickness skin loss]

Use additional code

code from category T31 or T32 to identify extent of body surface involved

T20-T32 · Burns and corrosions (T20-T32)

Includes

burns (thermal) from electrical heating appliances
burns (thermal) from electricity
burns (thermal) from flame
burns (thermal) from friction
burns (thermal) from hot air and hot gases
burns (thermal) from hot objects
burns (thermal) from lightning
burns (thermal) from radiation
chemical burn [corrosion] (external) (internal)
scalds

Excludes 2

erythema [dermatitis] ab igne (L59.0)
radiation-related disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L55-L59)
sunburn (L55.-)

T21 · Burn and corrosion of trunk

Includes

burns and corrosion of hip region

Excludes 2

burns and corrosion of axilla (T22.- with fifth character 4)
burns and corrosion of scapular region (T22.- with fifth character 6)
burns and corrosion of shoulder (T22.- with fifth character 5)

Seventh character

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T21

A — initial encounter

D — subsequent encounter

S — sequela

More specific codes

Related codes

Other entries in the same category; these are not automatic substitutes.

Code	Description	Category · further specificity required
T21.0	Burn of unspecified degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required
T21.2	Burn of second degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required
T21.3	Burn of third degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required
T21.4	Corrosion of unspecified degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required
T21.5	Corrosion of first degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required
T21.6	Corrosion of second degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required
T21.7	Corrosion of third degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required

Official titles and instructions are preserved in their source language. Official sources ↗

T21.1CurrentCategory · further specificity required

Burn of first degree of trunk

Code-level instructions

Use additional code

external cause code to identify the source, place and intent of the burn (X00-X19, X75-X77, X96-X98, Y92)

Chapters 19 · Inherited instructions

Use additional code

code to identify any retained foreign body, if applicable (Z18.-)

T20-T25 · Inherited instructions

Use additional code

code from category T31 or T32 to identify extent of body surface involved

T21 · Inherited instructions

A — initial encounter

D — subsequent encounter

S — sequela

Excludes 2 · 8

Chapters 19 · Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)

Excludes 2

birth trauma (P10-P15)
obstetric trauma (O70-O71)

T20-T32 · Burns and corrosions (T20-T32)

Excludes 2

erythema [dermatitis] ab igne (L59.0)
radiation-related disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L55-L59)
sunburn (L55.-)

T21 · Burn and corrosion of trunk

Excludes 2

burns and corrosion of axilla (T22.- with fifth character 4)
burns and corrosion of scapular region (T22.- with fifth character 6)
burns and corrosion of shoulder (T22.- with fifth character 5)

More specific codes

Claims & coverage

When ICD-10-CM is required

For US diagnosis claims covered by HIPAA, ICD-10-CM is required from October 1, 2015.

Official coding guidelines → · CMS ↗

First observed · 2015-10-01

Code history

Latest recorded change · FY2025 · 04-01

ChangedUnchanged

FY2025 · 04-01

Effective from 2025-04-01

Inherited rules changed

Burn of first degree of trunk

Category — select a more specific code

CDC/NCHS · FY2025 · 04-01

All editions (19)

All editions	Effective from	Code history
FY2016	2015-10-01	First observed
FY2017	2016-10-01	No tabular change
FY2018	2017-10-01	No tabular change
FY2019	2018-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020	2019-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020 · April	2020-04-01	No tabular change
FY2021	2020-10-01	No tabular change
FY2021 · 01-01	2021-01-01	No tabular change
FY2022	2021-10-01	No tabular change
FY2022 · 04-01	2022-04-01	No tabular change
FY2023	2022-10-01	No tabular change
FY2023 · 04-01	2023-04-01	No tabular change
FY2024	2023-10-01	No tabular change
FY2024 · 04-01	2024-04-01	No tabular change
FY2025	2024-10-01	No tabular change
FY2025 · 04-01	2025-04-01	Inherited rules changed
FY2026	2025-10-01	No tabular change
FY2026 · April	2026-04-01	No tabular change
FY2027	2026-10-01	No tabular change

Code-level instructions

Use additional code

external cause code to identify the source, place and intent of the burn (X00-X19, X75-X77, X96-X98, Y92)

Inherited instructions

Chapters 19 · Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)

Excludes 2

birth trauma (P10-P15)
obstetric trauma (O70-O71)

Use additional code

code to identify any retained foreign body, if applicable (Z18.-)

Note

Use secondary code(s) from Chapter 20, External causes of morbidity, to indicate cause of injury. Codes within the T section that include the external cause do not require an additional external cause code
The chapter uses the S-section for coding different types of injuries related to single body regions and the T-section to cover injuries to unspecified body regions as well as poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes.

T20-T25 · Burns and corrosions of external body surface, specified by site (T20-T25)

Includes

burns and corrosions of first degree [erythema]
burns and corrosions of second degree [blisters][epidermal loss]
burns and corrosions of third degree [deep necrosis of underlying tissue] [full- thickness skin loss]

Use additional code

code from category T31 or T32 to identify extent of body surface involved

T20-T32 · Burns and corrosions (T20-T32)

Includes

burns (thermal) from electrical heating appliances
burns (thermal) from electricity
burns (thermal) from flame
burns (thermal) from friction
burns (thermal) from hot air and hot gases
burns (thermal) from hot objects
burns (thermal) from lightning
burns (thermal) from radiation
chemical burn [corrosion] (external) (internal)
scalds

Excludes 2

erythema [dermatitis] ab igne (L59.0)
radiation-related disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L55-L59)
sunburn (L55.-)

T21 · Burn and corrosion of trunk

Includes

burns and corrosion of hip region

Excludes 2

burns and corrosion of axilla (T22.- with fifth character 4)
burns and corrosion of scapular region (T22.- with fifth character 6)
burns and corrosion of shoulder (T22.- with fifth character 5)

Seventh character

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T21

A — initial encounter

D — subsequent encounter

S — sequela

More specific codes

Related codes

Other entries in the same category; these are not automatic substitutes.

Code	Description	Category · further specificity required
T21.0	Burn of unspecified degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required
T21.2	Burn of second degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required
T21.3	Burn of third degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required
T21.4	Corrosion of unspecified degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required
T21.5	Corrosion of first degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required
T21.6	Corrosion of second degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required
T21.7	Corrosion of third degree of trunk	Category · further specificity required

Official titles and instructions are preserved in their source language. Official sources ↗