What is the difference between Excludes1 and Excludes2 notes in ICD-10-CM?

What is the difference between Excludes1 and Excludes2 notes in ICD-10-CM?

• A. Excludes2 indicates not coded together but can occur in separate circumstances.
• B. Excludes1 means mutually exclusive; Excludes2 indicates not coded together but can occur in separate circumstances.
• C. Excludes1 means mutually inclusive; Excludes2 indicates both codes must always be used together.
• D. Excludes1 and Excludes2 each require both codes to be listed separately.

Answer: (B)

In ICD-10-CM, Excludes notes guide how related conditions should be treated in coding. An Excludes1 note marks conditions that are mutually exclusive for a single encounter—you should not code both together because they cannot occur as part of the same diagnosis in that context. An Excludes2 note signals that the conditions are not part of the same condition and are not mutually exclusive in general, so they may occur in the same patient; you may code both if documentation supports it, but one code does not include the other. So the best answer reflects that Excludes1 means mutually exclusive, while Excludes2 indicates not coded together but can occur in separate circumstances.

In ICD-10-CM, Excludes notes guide how related conditions should be treated in coding. An Excludes1 note marks conditions that are mutually exclusive for a single encounter—you should not code both together because they cannot occur as part of the same diagnosis in that context. An Excludes2 note signals that the conditions are not part of the same condition and are not mutually exclusive in general, so they may occur in the same patient; you may code both if documentation supports it, but one code does not include the other.

So the best answer reflects that Excludes1 means mutually exclusive, while Excludes2 indicates not coded together but can occur in separate circumstances.