F40.230
BillableFear of blood
HCC Category Mapping
RxHCCHCC 133 — Personality Disorders, Anxiety, and Other Specified Mental Disorders
0.000What This Code Means
An intense fear of seeing blood that may cause fainting, avoidance of medical settings, or anxiety during injuries.
Coding Tips
- •This is a blood-injection-injury type phobia
- •Document whether the fear is of seeing blood, own blood, or others' blood
Clinical Significance
Fear of blood (hemophobia) is a blood-injection-injury subtype specific phobia characterized by intense fear or anxiety triggered by seeing blood. Unique among phobias, it can cause a vasovagal response leading to fainting, which is a safety concern. This phobia is clinically significant as it may cause patients to avoid necessary medical care including blood draws and surgical procedures.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Marked fear or anxiety specifically triggered by the sight of blood
- ✓History of vasovagal response or fainting episodes if applicable
- ✓Avoidance of medical procedures, blood draws, or situations involving blood
- ✓Duration of 6+ months
- ✓Impact on healthcare access and medical compliance
- ✓Current management strategies (e.g., applied tension technique, desensitization)
Commonly Confused Codes
F40.231 (Fear of injections and transfusions) — Injection phobia is about needles/medical procedures; blood phobia is specifically about seeing bloodF40.232 (Fear of other medical care) — Broader medical care avoidance may be distinct from specific blood phobiaF40.233 (Fear of injury) — Injury phobia involves fear of bodily harm; blood phobia is specifically triggered by blood itselfR55 (Syncope and collapse) — Code the underlying phobia when fainting is caused by hemophobia