What is the ICD-10 code for painful swallowing?

The ICD-10 code for painful swallowing, also known as odynophagia, is typically coded under R13.1- for dysphagia, with specific codes depending on the phase involved.

How do you code odynophagia?

Odynophagia is coded under the dysphagia category in ICD-10, using R13.1- codes. The specific code depends on the documented phase of swallowing difficulty.

ICD-10 Coding for Painful Swallowing(R13.10, K20.0, K21.9)

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Learn about the ICD-10 coding for painful swallowing, including specific codes for different phases of dysphagia and documentation requirements.

Also known as:

OdynophagiaPainful Dysphagia

Related ICD-10 Code Ranges

Complete code families applicable to Painful Swallowing

R00-R99Primary Range

Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified

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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
R13.10	Dysphagia, unspecified	Use when the specific phase of dysphagia is not documented.	Patient report of difficulty swallowing without specific phase identified
R13.13	Dysphagia, pharyngeal phase	Use when pain is localized to the throat during the pharyngeal phase.	FEES showing pharyngeal residue Patient-reported throat pain during swallowing
R13.14	Dysphagia, pharyngoesophageal phase	Use when pain extends behind the sternum during swallowing.	Esophageal manometry showing elevated resting pressure Retrosternal pain during swallowing

Primary ICD-10-CM Codes

Dysphagia, unspecified

R13.10Billable

Differential Codes

Alternative codes to consider when ruling out similar conditions

Pain in throatR07.0

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease without esophagitisK21.9

Eosinophilic esophagitisK20.0

Documentation & Coding Risks

Avoid these common issues when documenting Painful Swallowing.

Failure to document specific phase of dysphagia

Impact

Clinical: Inaccurate treatment planning, Regulatory: Non-compliance with coding standards, Financial: Potential claim denials

Mitigation

Train staff on importance of phase documentation, Use standardized templates for documentation

Using R07.0 for swallowing-related pain

Impact

Reimbursement: Incorrect coding may lead to denied claims., Compliance: Non-compliance with ICD-10 guidelines., Data Quality: Inaccurate clinical data representation.

Mitigation

Use R13.1- codes when pain is triggered by swallowing.

Phase Documentation

Impact

Lack of specific phase documentation can lead to audit flags.

Mitigation

Implement mandatory fields in EHR for phase documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements, coding pitfalls and FAQs for conditions coded with R13.10.

Primary Code

R13.10

Dysphagia, unspecified

Quick Navigation

ICD-10 codes8

Coding risks3

FAQs2

ICD-10 Coding for Painful Swallowing(R13.10, K20.0, K21.9)

Documentation & Coding Risks

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ICD-10 code for painful swallowing?

How do you code odynophagia?

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