N17.9 — Acute kidney failure, unspecified
Is N17.9 billable?
Yes, but N17.9 is an unspecified code. N17.9 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, N17.9 is an unspecified or catch-all code. Payers apply additional scrutiny to unspecified codes and many deny them when the medical record supports a more specific option, so check the documentation before selecting N17.9 — the more specific alternatives are listed below.
N17.9 at a glance
| Code | N17.9 |
|---|---|
| Description | Acute kidney failure, unspecified |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does N17.9 group to?
N17.9 sits in MDC 11 and helps define the logic of 3 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 673Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Procedures with MCCsurgical
- 674Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Procedures with CCsurgical
- 675Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Procedures without CC/MCCsurgical
As a secondary diagnosis, N17.9 is a complication or comorbidity (CC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.
How is N17.9 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to N17.9. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Failure, failed › kidney › acute
- Failure, failed › renal › acute
- Injury › kidney › acute
- Necrosis, necrotic › kidney › acute (ischemic)
Excludes2 — not included here
The conditions below are not part of N17.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, N17.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- traumatic kidney injury (S37.0-)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to N17.9.
- Acute kidney injury (nontraumatic)
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from N17
The conditions below can never be reported together with N17.9 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- posttraumatic renal failure (T79.5)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 14
The conditions below are not part of N17.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, N17.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from N17-N19
The conditions below are not part of N17.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, N17.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- congenital renal failure (P96.0)
- drug- and heavy-metal-induced tubulo-interstitial and tubular conditions (N14.-)
- extrarenal uremia (R39.2)
- hemolytic-uremic syndrome (D59.3-)
- hepatorenal syndrome (K76.7)
- postpartum hepatorenal syndrome (O90.41)
- posttraumatic renal failure (T79.5)
- prerenal uremia (R39.2)
- renal failure complicating abortion or ectopic or molar pregnancy (O00-O07, O08.4)
- renal failure following labor and delivery (O90.41)
- renal failure postprocedural (N99.0)
Code also — inherited from N17
Two codes may be needed to describe the condition fully. Whether N17.9 is sequenced first depends on the reason for the encounter.
- associated underlying condition
How long has N17.9 existed?
N17.9 has been in ICD-10-CM since at least FY2016, the earliest fiscal year on record here.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.