Question

multiple choice question

what letter of the alphabet is never used as the first character of an icd-10-cm code?

u
i
z
o

Explanation:

Identify the structure of ICD-10-CM codes

Using the ICD-10 Code Structure knowledge point

ICD-10-CM codes are alphanumeric and always begin with an alphabetic letter.

Determine the unused letter

Using the ICD-10 Code Structure knowledge point

All letters of the alphabet are utilized as the first character of a code category except for the letter U. The letter U is reserved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for temporary assignments of new diseases of uncertain etiology or for emergency use (such as COVID-19 or vaping-related disorders in some international contexts, though ICD-10-CM specifically avoids using U as a standard first character for routine clinical coding).

Answer:

• U
• I
• Z
• O