O74.5Spinal and epidural anesthesia-induced headache during labor and delivery

O74.5 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for spinal and epidural anesthesia-induced headache during labor and delivery. It belongs to category O74 (complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery), block O60-O77 (complications of labor and delivery) and chapter 15 (pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium). It is billable, so it can be reported on its own for dates of service from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Within O74 (complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery), O74.5 is specifically for spinal and epidural anesthesia-induced headache during labor and delivery. Related codes cover aspiration pneumonitis due to anesthesia during labor and delivery (O74.0), other pulmonary complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery (O74.1), cardiac complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery (O74.2), central nervous system complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery (O74.3), toxic reaction to local anesthesia during labor and delivery (O74.4), other complications of spinal and epidural anesthesia during labor and delivery (O74.6), failed or difficult intubation for anesthesia during labor and delivery (O74.7), other complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery (O74.8) and 1 more.

Use an additional code, if applicable, to identify specific complication.

It is not a CC or MCC, so as a secondary diagnosis it doesn't change the MS-DRG severity level.

In MS-DRG v44.0, it is part of the grouping logic for DRG 998 (Principal Diagnosis Invalid as Discharge Diagnosis), in MDC 14 (Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium), as a principal or secondary diagnosis. The DRG a claim lands in depends on the principal diagnosis, procedures and any CC/MCC secondary diagnoses.

The Medicare Code Editor treats this as a maternity diagnosis, expected only for patients age 9 through 64.

It is on the CMS list of diagnoses consistent only with female patients (the sex-conflict edit itself was retired in FY2025).

It has been part of ICD-10-CM since the code set took effect on October 1, 2015 and hasn't changed since.

Before ICD-10, this condition was coded in ICD-9-CM as 668.81 (other complications of anesthesia or other sedation in labor and delivery, delivered, with or without mention of antepartum condition) and 668.82 (other complications of anesthesia or other sedation in labor and delivery, delivered, with mention of postpartum complication).