T22.239 Burn of second degree of unspecified upper arm

ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code T22.239: Burn of second degree of unspecified upper arm

ICD-10-CM code T22.239 represents a second-degree burn of an unspecified upper arm, classified as an injury or poisoning concept. Second-degree burns affect both the outer skin layer and the underlying dermis. This active terminology record lacks narrower subcodes and does not specify laterality. 1 2 3

Plain-language overview

A second-degree burn, also known as a partial-thickness burn, affects both the outer layer of the skin and the underlying layer of the dermis, distinguishing it from superficial first-degree burns. 2 3

What this code represents

The diagnosis code T22.239 specifically represents a second-degree burn located on the upper arm, but the laterality of the affected arm is unspecified in this particular terminology record. 1

The concept T22.239 is assigned the semantic type of injury or poisoning, and its parent concept is T22.23, which covers second-degree burns of the upper arm generally. 1

Coding details

The T22.239 terminology record currently has no narrower child concepts within this hierarchy, and its record status is active for the 2026 version of the system. 1

A related code, T22.239A, appears in billing documentation for outpatient therapy services and specifies an initial encounter for a second-degree burn of an unspecified upper arm. 4

Documentation considerations

Accurately evaluating and classifying the depth of a burn is crucial for determining the appropriate treatment approach and prognosis, making precise clinical documentation of the burn severity necessary. 2

Clinical factors influencing burn severity and outcomes include the patient's comorbidities, the total surface area of the burn, and the temperature and duration of heat exposure. 2

What the sources add

While the terminology record defines the diagnosis code structurally, clinical sources provide the medical context that second-degree burns involve the dermis, and billing articles demonstrate the code's application in outpatient therapy. 1 2 4

General medical encyclopedia sources establish that burns can occur from direct or indirect contact with heat, electric current, radiation, or chemical agents, providing external cause context not detailed in the code record. 3

Sources

1. ICD-10-CM T22.239 terminology record — National Cancer Institute Enterprise Vocabulary Services; accessed 2026-07-27.
2. Bookshelf — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
3. Burns: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia — medlineplus.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
4. Article - Billing and Coding: Outpatient Physical and Occupational Therapy Services (A57067) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
5. Article - Billing and Coding: Outpatient Physical and Occupational Therapy Services (A57067) — cms.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.
6. EVS Explore — evsexplore.semantics.cancer.gov; accessed 2026-07-27.