What is the ICD-10 code for acute colitis?

The ICD-10 code for acute colitis depends on the cause. For acute severe ulcerative colitis, use K51.01. For infectious colitis due to C. difficile, use A04.7.

How do you document acute colitis severity?

Document acute colitis severity using Truelove and Witts criteria, including stool frequency, CRP, and ESR levels.

ICD-10 Coding for Acute Colitis(K51.01, A04.0, A04.6)

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Learn about ICD-10 coding for acute colitis, including documentation requirements and common pitfalls. Find codes for ulcerative colitis and infectious colitis.

Also known as:

Acute Inflammatory ColitisAcute Infectious Colitis

Related ICD-10 Code Ranges

Complete code families applicable to Acute Colitis

K00-K95Primary Range

Diseases of the digestive system

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Code Comparison: When to Use Each Code

Compare key differences between these codes to ensure accurate selection

Code	Description	When to Use	Key Documentation
K51.01	Ulcerative colitis, acute severe, with complications	Use when acute severe ulcerative colitis is confirmed with complications.	>6 bloody stools/day CRP >45 mg/L ESR >30 mm/hr
A04.7	Enterocolitis due to Clostridioides difficile	Use when C. difficile infection is confirmed.	Positive stool PCR for C. difficile toxin

Primary ICD-10-CM Codes

Ulcerative (chronic) pancolitis with complications

K51.01

Differential Codes

Alternative codes to consider when ruling out similar conditions

Crohn's disease, unspecified, without complicationsK50.919

Noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis, unspecifiedK52.9

Use only when infectious causes are ruled out.

Documentation & Coding Risks

Avoid these common issues when documenting Acute Colitis.

Using non-specific codes without full workup.

Impact

Clinical: May lead to inappropriate treatment., Regulatory: Non-compliance with coding standards., Financial: Potential for denied claims.

Mitigation

Ensure complete diagnostic workup before coding.

Coding unspecified colitis without ruling out infection.

Impact

Reimbursement: May lead to incorrect DRG assignment., Compliance: Non-compliance with coding guidelines., Data Quality: Inaccurate clinical data representation.

Mitigation

Ensure stool tests are negative before using noninfective codes.

Severity Coding

Impact

Incorrect coding of colitis severity can lead to audits.

Mitigation

Ensure documentation meets criteria for severity coding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements, coding pitfalls and FAQs for conditions coded with K51.01.

Primary Code

K51.01

Ulcerative (chronic) pancolitis with complications

Quick Navigation

ICD-10 codes9

Coding risks3

FAQs2

ICD-10 Coding for Acute Colitis(K51.01, A04.0, A04.6)

Documentation & Coding Risks

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ICD-10 code for acute colitis?

How do you document acute colitis severity?

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