T33UpcomingCategory · further specificity required

Superficial frostbite

Code-level instructions

A — initial encounter

D — subsequent encounter

S — sequela

Chapters 19 · Inherited instructions

Use additional code

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

Excludes 2 · 3

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

Excludes 2

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

T33-T34 · Frostbite (T33-T34)

Excludes 2

hypothermia and other effects of reduced temperature (T68, T69.-)

More specific codes

T33.0Superficial frostbite of head T33.1Superficial frostbite of neck T33.2Superficial frostbite of thorax T33.3Superficial frostbite of abdominal wall, lower back and pelvis T33.4Superficial frostbite of arm T33.5Superficial frostbite of wrist, hand, and fingers T33.6Superficial frostbite of hip and thigh T33.7Superficial frostbite of knee and lower leg T33.8Superficial frostbite of ankle, foot, and toe(s)T33.9Superficial frostbite of other and unspecified sites

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

Superficial frostbite

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

Includes

frostbite with partial thickness skin loss

Seventh character

The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T33

A — initial encounter

D — subsequent encounter

S — sequela

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.

T33-T34 · Frostbite (T33-T34)

Excludes 2

hypothermia and other effects of reduced temperature (T68, T69.-)

More specific codes