Try for free

W20-W49 ICD-10-CA block: Exposure to inanimate mechanical forces

W20-W49 isn’t a code on its own. Choose one of the 47 codes beneath it, the one the documentation supports.

Official description

W20-W49

Exposure to inanimate mechanical forces (W20-W49)

ICD-10-CA · Canada

Codes in W20-W49

W20-W49 isn’t a code on its own. Open the group that matches what the note documents.

W20Struck by thrown, projected or falling object(s)W21Striking against or struck by sports equipment (6 codes)W22Striking against or struck by other object(s) (9 codes)W23Caught, crushed, jammed or pinched in or between objectsW24Contact with lifting and transmission device(s), not elsewhere classifiedW25Contact with sharp glassW26Contact with other sharp object(s) (3 codes)W27Contact with nonpowered hand toolW28Contact with powered lawnmowerW29Contact with other powered hand tools and household machineryW30Contact with agricultural machineryW31Contact with other and unspecified machineryW32Handgun dischargeW33Rifle, shotgun and larger firearm dischargeW34Discharge from other and unspecified firearms (4 codes)W35Explosion and rupture of boilerW36Explosion and rupture of gas cylinderW37Explosion and rupture of pressurized tire, pipe or hoseW38Explosion and rupture of other specified pressurized devicesW39Discharge of fireworkW40Explosion of other materialsW41Exposure to high-pressure jetW42Exposure to noiseW43Exposure to vibrationW44Foreign body entering into or through eye or natural orificeW45Foreign body or object entering through skin (2 codes)W46Contact with hypodermic needleW49Exposure to other and unspecified inanimate mechanical forces

Notes for W20-W49

As CIHI prints them, with any note W20-W49 takes from the headings above it.

Use additional code

Add a code for this detail when the note documents it.

  • Use additional code from category U98.- to identify place of occurrence.

Excludes

Conditions classified elsewhere.

  • Assault (X85-Y09)contact or collision with animals or persons (W50-W64)intentional self-harm (X60-X84)

Note

  • This chapter, which in previous revisions of ICD constituted a supplementary classification, permits the classification of environmental events and circumstances as the cause of injury, poisoning and other adverse effects. Where a code from this section is applicable, it is intended that it shall be used in addition to a code from another chapter of the Classification indicating the nature of the condition. Most often, the condition will be classifiable to Chapter XIX, Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T98). Causes of death should preferably be tabulated according to both Chapter XIX and Chapter XX, but if only one code is tabulated then the code from Chapter XX should be used in preference. Other conditions that may be stated to be due to external causes are classified in Chapters I to XVIII. For these conditions, codes from Chapter XX should be used to provide additional information for multiple-condition analysis only.From Chapter 20: External causes of morbidity and mortality (V01-Y98)

Where W20-W49 sits

  1. 1ChapterChapter 20: External causes of morbidity and mortality (V01-Y98)
  2. 2Block V01-X59Accidents
  3. 3Block W00-X59Other external causes of accidental injury
  4. 4Block W20-W49Exposure to inanimate mechanical forces

Source and release

Data release
ICD-10-CA · FY 2026–2027
Effective date
Apr 1, 2026
Publisher
CIHI

This page is built from the ICD-10-CA catalog that Vero Codes reads when it suggests codes: Canadian Institute for Health Information’s FY 2026–2027 release, imported from the publisher’s file and checked against it. The description, notes and structured data come from the same record.

See W20-W49 in the CIHI source

Frequently asked questions

Is W20-W49 a valid ICD-10-CA code?

No. W20-W49 (Exposure to inanimate mechanical forces) is a block heading in CIHI’s ICD-10-CA FY 2026–2027 release. It holds 47 codes; record the one the documentation supports.

Where is W20-W49 in ICD-10-CA?

W20-W49 sits under W00-X59 Other external causes of accidental injury, within V01-X59 Accidents, within Chapter 20: External causes of morbidity and mortality (V01-Y98).

What coding notes apply to W20-W49?

ICD-10-CA lists Use additional code, Excludes, Note notes for W20-W49, including those from the headings it sits under. They are listed on this page with where each one comes from.

Which ICD-10-CA release does this page use?

It uses CIHI’s FY 2026–2027 release, in effect from Apr 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027. It is a reference: confirm the code against the current list and the payer’s rules before you submit it.

Codes beside W20-W49

W00-W19FallsW50-W64Exposure to animate mechanical forcesW65-W74Accidental drowning and submersionW75-W84Other accidental threats to breathingW85-W99Exposure to electric current, radiation and extreme ambient air temperature and pressureX00-X09Exposure to smoke, fire and flamesX10-X19Contact with heat and hot substancesX20-X29Contact with venomous animals and plantsX30-X39Exposure to forces of natureX40-X49Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substancesX50-X57Overexertion, travel and privationX58-X59Accidental exposure to other and unspecified factors