Assault by submersion [drowning]

This code signifies an injury resulting from an intentional act of another person causing the victim to be submerged in water or another liquid, leading to near-drowning or actual drowning. It specifically identifies the external cause of injury as an assault.

Apply this code when documentation clearly states that a patient's submersion injury (e.g., near-drowning, anoxic brain injury due to submersion) was the direct result of an assault. This code is used as an external cause of injury code, supplementing the primary diagnosis describing the patient's physical condition.

• Always sequence this external cause code after the primary diagnosis describing the actual injury or condition (e.g., anoxic brain damage, respiratory arrest).
• Ensure documentation explicitly states "assault" or "intentional injury by another" in relation to the submersion.
• Distinguish from accidental drowning (E910.0-E910.9) or self-inflicted drowning (E950.4).