Skip to content

A34 ICD-10-CM Code: Obstetrical tetanus

ICD-10-CM Code View

HCC Buddy Code Card

Digital ICD-10 code-book layout with official code detail, always-visible risk models, Code Trumping, and Buddy coding guidance.

FY 2026 Apr update / Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99) / Other bacterial diseases (A30-A49)

A34

Billable / SpecificICD-10-CMOfficial ICD-10-CMCodebook guidance

Obstetrical tetanus

Tetanus infection that develops in a pregnant woman or during the postpartum period, typically from contamination of the birth canal or delivery wounds. This is a serious bacterial infection caused by toxins from Clostridium tetani that can affect both mother and fetus.

CMS-HCC V28

N/A

Not mapped

CMS-HCC V24

N/A

Not mapped

ACA/HHS

HCC 3

Varies by metal level

ESRD/PACE

N/A

Not mapped

RXHCC

N/A

Not mapped

Code Book Path

Official
A3Other bacterial diseases (A30-A49)
A34Obstetrical tetanus

Inclusion Terms

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list inclusion terms for A34 in this effective period.

Excludes 2

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 2 notes for A34 in this effective period.

Related Child Codes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list child codes under A34 for this display context.

Includes

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Includes notes for A34 in this effective period.

Excludes 1

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Excludes 1 notes for A34 in this effective period.

Code First

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code First sequencing instructions for A34 in this effective period.

Use Additional

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Use Additional Code instructions for A34 in this effective period.

Code Also

Official

ICD-10-CM does not list Code Also instructions for A34 in this effective period.

Buddy Documentation Tip

HCC Buddy guidance
A34 is specific to obstetrical tetanus and should only be used for pregnant women, women in labor, or postpartum women; do not use for non-pregnant patients with tetanus
This code should be used as a secondary diagnosis when coding obstetrical cases; ensure the pregnancy status is also coded with appropriate O-codes (O00-O9A range) to capture the complete clinical picture

Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM Apr update, Apr 1, 2026 through Sep 30, 2026. CMS-HCC V28 is 100% phased in for payment year 2026.

Is A34 an HCC code?

No. A34 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to any HCC category in V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC.

Coder workflow notes

Get the V28 RAF + MEAT cheat sheet

One printable page: confirm a code's V28 HCC status, its RAF weight, and the MEAT your note needs to make it stick. Free, no card.

Free PDF. No card. Unsubscribe anytime.

This code does not map to an HCC category in any model (V28, V24, ESRD, RxHCC).

What This Code Means

A34 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for obstetrical tetanus. Tetanus infection that develops in a pregnant woman or during the postpartum period, typically from contamination of the birth canal or delivery wounds. This is a serious bacterial infection caused by toxins from Clostridium tetani that can affect both mother and fetus. A34 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for certain infectious and parasitic diseases (a00-b99), within the section covering other bacterial diseases (a30-a49).

A34 is a billable ICD-10-CM code but does not map to a payment HCC under the CMS-HCC V28, V24, ESRD, or RxHCC risk adjustment models. It can be reported on Medicare Advantage encounter data submissions but it does not contribute to a beneficiary's RAF score and therefore does not affect risk-adjusted payments to the plan.

A34 is specific to obstetrical tetanus and should only be used for pregnant women, women in labor, or postpartum women; do not use for non-pregnant patients with tetanus.

HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for A34 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.

Coding Tips

  • A34 is specific to obstetrical tetanus and should only be used for pregnant women, women in labor, or postpartum women; do not use for non-pregnant patients with tetanus
  • This code should be used as a secondary diagnosis when coding obstetrical cases; ensure the pregnancy status is also coded with appropriate O-codes (O00-O9A range) to capture the complete clinical picture

Code Hierarchy

A34Obstetrical tetanus
A34Obstetrical tetanus

Work A34 in HCC Buddy

Open A34 in the Code Book for the full Index-to-Tabular path, MEAT checklist, and V28 HCC mapping, or in the Encoder to code from a keyword search. Pro includes 14 days to try everything.