Labor and delivery complicated by abnormality of fetal acid-base balance
In Complications of labor and delivery (O60-O77), chapter 15: Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium
- O68 is billable and valid on claims for FY 2027. If the record has more detail, check the other codes under O60-O77 below.
- As a secondary diagnosis it is a CC (complication or comorbidity), which can raise the MS-DRG payment. It doesn't count when the principal diagnosis is one of 3 closely related codes.
- Doesn't count toward a Medicare Advantage risk score (no HCC in V28).
- AHRQ's Chronic Condition Indicator classes it as not chronic (an acute or short-term condition).
- Expected only on maternity records. (Maternity list)
Also indexed as: Delivery, complicated, by, fetal, abnormal acid-base balance; Delivery, complicated, by, fetal, acidemia; Delivery, complicated, by, fetal, acidosis; Delivery, complicated, by, fetal, alkalosis; Pregnancy, complicated by, fetal, abnormality or damage, acid-base balance; Pregnancy, complicated by, fetal, acidemia; Pregnancy, complicated by, fetal, acidosis; Pregnancy, complicated by, fetal, alkalosis
Advertisements
Instructional notes
Includes: conditions that are coded here
- Fetal acidemia complicating labor and delivery
- Fetal acidosis complicating labor and delivery
- Fetal alkalosis complicating labor and delivery
- Fetal metabolic acidemia complicating labor and delivery
Excludes1: not coded here, use a different code
Official coding guidelines
From the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY 2027 (CMS and NCHS). Links open the PDF at the right page.
Coding of obstetric cases with O00-O9A codes: sequencing priority, trimester and fetus characters, principal diagnosis selection, delivery outcome, and pregnancy-related complications.
- General Rules for Obstetric Cases (page 63)
- Selection of OB Principal or First-listed Diagnosis (page 64)
- Pre-existing conditions versus conditions due to the pregnancy (page 65)
- Pre-existing hypertension in pregnancy (page 66)
- Fetal Conditions Affecting the Management of the Mother (page 66)
- HIV Infection in Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium (page 66)
- Diabetes mellitus in pregnancy (page 66)
- Long term use of insulin and oral hypoglycemics (page 67)
Other codes under O60-O77
Complications of labor and delivery (O60-O77)
- O60Preterm labor
- O61Failed induction of labor
- O62Abnormalities of forces of labor
- O63Long labor
- O64Obstructed labor due to malposition and malpresentation of fetus
- O65Obstructed labor due to maternal pelvic abnormality
- O66Other obstructed labor
- O67Labor and delivery complicated by intrapartum hemorrhage, not elsewhere classified
- O68Labor and delivery complicated by abnormality of fetal acid-base balance(this code)
- O69Labor and delivery complicated by umbilical cord complications
- O70Perineal laceration during delivery
- O71Other obstetric trauma
- O72Postpartum hemorrhage
- O73Retained placenta and membranes, without hemorrhage
- O74Complications of anesthesia during labor and delivery
- O75Other complications of labor and delivery, not elsewhere classified
- O76Abnormality in fetal heart rate and rhythm complicating labor and delivery
- O77Other fetal stress complicating labor and delivery
O68 MS-DRGs
This code does not group to an MS-DRG as a principal diagnosis.
Related conditions
Grouped by AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software Refined (CCSR), which sorts every diagnosis code into clinically meaningful categories.
O68 is in Malposition, disproportion or other labor complications (PRG024, its default category), with 259 codes. Others in it:
- O32.0XX0 Maternal care for unstable lie, not applicable or unspecified
- O32.0XX1 Maternal care for unstable lie, fetus 1
- O32.0XX2 Maternal care for unstable lie, fetus 2
- O32.0XX3 Maternal care for unstable lie, fetus 3
- O32.0XX4 Maternal care for unstable lie, fetus 4
- O32.0XX5 Maternal care for unstable lie, fetus 5
- O32.0XX9 Maternal care for unstable lie, other fetus
- O32.1XX0 Maternal care for breech presentation, not applicable or unspecified
Other codes that refer to O68
Notes on these codes point to O68.
About the condition
Plain-language background from MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine), not coding guidance.
Childbirth Problems
Childbirth is the process of giving birth to a baby. It includes labor and delivery. Usually everything goes well, but problems can happen. They may cause a risk to the mother, baby, or both. Some of the more common childbirth problems include:
Read more about childbirth problems on MedlinePlusCode history
Valid since FY2016, when ICD-10-CM took effect on October 1, 2015. No changes since.
ICD-9-CM equivalent
Legacy crosswalk from the CMS General Equivalence Mappings (last updated 2018).
- 656.31 Fetal distress, affecting management of mother, delivered, with or without mention of antepartum condition (approximate)
- 656.81 Other specified fetal and placental problems, affecting management of mother, delivered, with or without mention of antepartum condition (approximate)