Assault by other bodily force, initial encounter

This code signifies an injury resulting from a physical assault where the perpetrator used their body (e.g., punching, kicking, pushing, wrestling) as the weapon, rather than an object or weapon. It specifically denotes the initial phase of treatment for such an injury.

Apply this code when documenting the initial encounter for a patient who has sustained injuries due to being physically attacked by another person using only their body. Examples include a patient presenting to the emergency department after being punched in a fight or pushed down stairs.

• Always assign an external cause code (Y04.8XXA) in conjunction with an injury code (e.g., S00-T88) to fully describe the patient's condition.
• Ensure the "A" seventh character is used only for the initial encounter for treatment of the injury.
• Distinguish from assaults involving weapons (e.g., Y04.0XXA for assault by unarmed brawl) or other specified means.