K62.5 vs K92.1
K62.5 and K92.1 can never be reported together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note, meaning the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient — so exactly one of them is correct for any given encounter.
The official note, declared on K62.5
melena (K92.1)
K62.5
Hemorrhage of anus and rectum
Billable
- Chapter 11
- Diseases of the digestive system
- Section
- K55-K64
Indexed under
- BRBPR
- Bright red blood per rectum (BRBPR)
- Proctorrhagia
- Bleeding › anal
- Bleeding › rectum, rectal
K92.1
Melena
Billable
- Chapter 11
- Diseases of the digestive system
- Section
- K90-K95
Indexed under
- Hematochezia
- Melena
- Abnormal, abnormality, abnormalities › stool › bloody
- Blood › in › feces
- Diarrhea, diarrheal › with › melena (disease) (infantile) (inflammatory)
Excludes1 is not always absolute: where two conditions covered by the note are genuinely unrelated, CMS guidance permits reporting both. Document the reasoning rather than assuming it. More on Excludes1 vs Excludes2 · FY2027