Poisoning by inhaled anesthetics, assault, initial encounter

This code describes a situation where a patient has been intentionally harmed by the administration of an inhaled anesthetic, such as nitrous oxide or halothane, by another person. The patient is presenting for the initial treatment of the acute effects of this poisoning.

Use this code when documenting the initial encounter for a patient who has been poisoned by an inhaled anesthetic as a result of an assault. This would include scenarios like a patient being forcibly exposed to an anesthetic gas by an assailant, leading to acute intoxication or adverse reactions.

• Always assign an external cause code (e.g., Y04.-) to describe the assault.
• Report any associated signs and symptoms or specific adverse effects of the poisoning.
• Ensure the "A" seventh character is used only for the initial encounter for active treatment.