S81.852D Open bite, left lower leg, subsequent encounter

ICD-10-CM S81.852D: Open bite, left lower leg, subsequent encounter

ICD-10-CM code S81.852D identifies an open bite injury of the left lower leg during a subsequent encounter. This diagnostic concept is classified under the semantic type of injury or poisoning. It appears in official terminology records and Medicare wound care billing articles, establishing its role in clinical coding. 1 4 5

Plain-language overview

Code S81.852D represents an injury or poisoning event specifically defined as an open bite on the left lower leg for a subsequent patient encounter, serving as an active diagnostic terminology record. 1 5

What this code represents

The terminology record for S81.852D lists S81.852, open bite of the left lower leg, as its parent concept, and the code is classified within the injury or poisoning semantic type. 1

Coding details

Within the S81.85 category, S81.852D specifies the left lower leg and a subsequent encounter, distinguishing it from initial encounter codes like S81.852A and sequela codes like S81.852S. 6

Documentation considerations

The official terminology record for S81.852D provides the exact preferred name, parent concept, and semantic type, which can be used to align clinical documentation with the active diagnostic code. 1

Coverage and utilization context

A Medicare billing and coding article for wound and ulcer care includes S81.852D in a list of ICD-10 codes, placing the diagnosis within an administrative context for service billing. 4

A separate Medicare wound care article references the initial encounter variant for an open bite of the left lower leg, illustrating the administrative distinction between encounter stages in billing documentation. 3

What the sources add

While official terminology records define the code structure and semantic type, Medicare billing articles provide operational context by listing the code alongside other diagnoses for wound care services. 1 4

Clinical research indicates dog bites account for all open fractures and neurovascular injuries in studied cohorts, highlighting the potential severity of bite trauma relevant to open bite injuries. 2

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM S81.852D terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. The Surgical Burden of Animal Bites Referred to Orthopaedics: A 10-Year Cohort Study of 168 Patients From a UK Major Trauma Centre — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. Article - Billing and Coding: Wound Care (A55909) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
4. Article - Billing and Coding: Wound and Ulcer Care (A58565) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
5. EVS Explore — evsexplore.semantics.cancer.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
6. ICD-10-CM 2024 | S81.85 - Open bite of lower leg — unboundmedicine.com; accessed 2026-07-27.