T68Hypothermia

T68 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for hypothermia. It belongs to block T66-T78 (other and unspecified effects of external causes) and chapter 19 (injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes). It is a header code, so it can't be reported by itself; one of its 3 subcodes must be used instead.

To report this condition, pick the subcode that matches the documentation: T68.XXXA (initial encounter), T68.XXXD (subsequent encounter) and T68.XXXS (sequela).

Don't report T68 together with the conditions in its Excludes1 note: hypothermia following anesthesia (T88.51), hypothermia not associated with low environmental temperature (R68.0) and hypothermia of newborn (P80.-).

The conditions in its Excludes2 note aren't part of T68, but may be coded alongside it if the patient has both: frostbite (T33-T34).

Use an additional code to identify source of exposure: Exposure to excessive cold of man-made origin (W93) and Exposure to excessive cold of natural origin (X31).

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