E87.21 — Acute metabolic acidosis
Is E87.21 billable?
Yes — E87.21 is billable for FY2027. E87.21 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. E87.21 may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
E87.21 at a glance
| Code | E87.21 |
|---|---|
| Description | Acute metabolic acidosis |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does E87.21 group to?
E87.21 sits in MDC 10 and helps define the logic of 2 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 640Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and Electrolytes with MCCmedical
- 641Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and Electrolytes without MCCmedical
As a secondary diagnosis, E87.21 is a complication or comorbidity (CC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.
How is E87.21 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to E87.21. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Acidosis › lactic › acute (lactic)
- Acidosis › metabolic NEC › acute (lactic)
- Disorder › electrolyteNEC › acidosis › acute (of)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to E87.21.
- Acute lactic acidosis
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from Chapter 4
The conditions below can never be reported together with E87.21 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- transitory endocrine and metabolic disorders specific to newborn (P70-P74)
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from E70-E88
The conditions below can never be reported together with E87.21 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from E87
The conditions below can never be reported together with E87.21 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from E87.2
The conditions below can never be reported together with E87.21 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from E70-E88
The conditions below are not part of E87.21, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, E87.21 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (Q79.6-)
How long has E87.21 existed?
E87.21 first appears in FY2023.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.