What is the ICD-10 code for high creatinine?

The ICD-10 code for high creatinine without a specific diagnosis is R79.89. For conditions like acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease, use N17.9 or N18.3 respectively.

How do you document acute kidney injury?

Document acute kidney injury by noting baseline and current creatinine levels, the timeframe of change, and any underlying causes, such as medication use.

ICD-10 Coding for High Creatinine(N17.9, N18.3, N18.9)

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Learn about ICD-10 coding for high creatinine, including acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. Find documentation tips and common coding pitfalls.

Also known as:

Elevated CreatinineIncreased Serum Creatinine

Related ICD-10 Code Ranges

Complete code families applicable to High Creatinine

N00-N99Primary Range

Diseases of the genitourinary 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
N17.9	Acute kidney failure, unspecified	Use when there is a documented acute rise in creatinine meeting AKI criteria.	Increase in serum creatinine by ≥0.3 mg/dL within 48 hours Increase in serum creatinine to ≥1.5 times baseline
N18.3	Chronic kidney disease, stage 3 (moderate)	Use for patients with documented CKD stage 3 based on eGFR.	eGFR 30-59 mL/min/1.73 m² for more than 3 months
R79.89	Other specified abnormal findings of blood chemistry	Use when elevated creatinine is noted without a specific diagnosis of kidney disease.	Isolated elevation in creatinine without meeting criteria for AKI or CKD

Primary ICD-10-CM Codes

Acute kidney failure, unspecified

N17.9Billable

Differential Codes

Alternative codes to consider when ruling out similar conditions

Chronic kidney disease, unspecifiedN18.9

Acute kidney failure, unspecifiedN17.9

Documentation & Coding Risks

Avoid these common issues when documenting High Creatinine.

Failing to document baseline creatinine

Impact

Clinical: Inaccurate assessment of kidney function changes, Regulatory: Potential for coding errors and audits, Financial: Missed opportunities for appropriate reimbursement

Mitigation

Always include baseline creatinine in documentation, Use templates to ensure completeness

Using R79.89 for patients with CKD

Impact

Reimbursement: Potential underpayment due to lack of specificity, Compliance: Non-compliance with coding guidelines, Data Quality: Inaccurate data representation of patient condition

Mitigation

Use the appropriate CKD stage code (e.g., N18.3) when CKD is documented.

Inaccurate AKI Coding

Impact

Coding AKI without proper documentation of creatinine changes.

Mitigation

Implement documentation templates that include creatinine trends.

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements, coding pitfalls and FAQs for conditions coded with N17.9.

Primary Code

N17.9

Acute kidney failure, unspecified

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ICD-10 codes5

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ICD-10 Coding for High Creatinine(N17.9, N18.3, N18.9)

Documentation & Coding Risks

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ICD-10 code for high creatinine?

How do you document acute kidney injury?

Related condition guides