ICD-10 Code for Abdominal Pain
The ICD-10-CM code for abdominal pain is R10.9 — Unspecified abdominal pain. It is billable for FY2027.
Abdominal pain ICD-10 codes at a glance
| Condition | Abdominal pain |
|---|---|
| Code | R10.9 — Unspecified abdominal pain |
| Billable | Yes (R10.9) |
| Alphabetic Index entry | Pain, abdominal |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027, valid October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
What changes the abdominal pain code?
The Alphabetic Index lists these qualifiers under Pain, abdominal. If the record documents one of them, the code changes. Verify the code in the Tabular List before reporting it.
| colic | R10.83 | Colic |
| generalized | R10.84 | Generalized abdominal pain |
| generalized › with acute abdomen | R10.0 | Acute abdomen |
| lower | R10.30 | Lower abdominal pain, unspecified |
| lower › left quadrant | R10.32 | Left lower quadrant pain |
| lower › pelvic or perineal | R10.20 | Pelvic and perineal pain unspecified side |
| lower › periumbilical | R10.33 | Periumbilical pain |
| lower › right quadrant | R10.31 | Right lower quadrant pain |
| multiple sites | R10.85 | Abdominal pain of multiple sites |
| severe with abdominal rigidity | R10.0 | Acute abdomen |
| upper | R10.10 | Upper abdominal pain, unspecified |
| upper › epigastric | R10.13 | Epigastric pain |
| upper › left quadrant | R10.12 | Left upper quadrant pain |
| upper › right quadrant | R10.11 | Right upper quadrant pain |
Can you code abdominal pain when the cause is known?
Abdominal pain is a symptom rather than a diagnosis. The official guidelines allow a symptom code while a related definitive diagnosis has not been established, and a symptom routinely associated with a confirmed disease is not coded separately:
“Codes that describe symptoms and signs, as opposed to diagnoses, are acceptable for reporting purposes when a related definitive diagnosis has not been established (confirmed) by the provider.”
“Signs and symptoms that are associated routinely with a disease process should not be assigned as additional codes, unless otherwise instructed by the classification.”
What else changes the abdominal pain code?
When the record documents the pain as acute or chronic, a code from category G89 (for example G89.29, other chronic pain) can be added to the site code for more detail. Without that documentation — or a postprocedural, post-thoracotomy or neoplasm-related cause — G89 is not used.
“Codes in category G89, Pain, not elsewhere classified, may be used in conjunction with codes from other categories and chapters to provide more detail about acute or chronic pain and neoplasm-related pain, unless otherwise indicated below.”
“If the pain is not specified as acute or chronic, post-thoracotomy, postprocedural, or neoplasm-related, do not assign codes from category G89.”
What does the Tabular List say about R10.9?
The instructional notes that govern R10.9, including those it inherits from its category and chapter. An Excludes1 note means the two codes are never reported together.
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from R10
The conditions below can never be reported together with R10.9 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- renal colic (N23)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 18
The conditions below are not part of R10.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, R10.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from R10-R19
The conditions below are not part of R10.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, R10.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- congenital or infantile pylorospasm (Q40.0)
- gastrointestinal hemorrhage (K92.0-K92.2)
- intestinal obstruction (K56.-)
- newborn gastrointestinal hemorrhage (P54.0-P54.3)
- newborn intestinal obstruction (P76.-)
- pylorospasm (K31.3)
- signs and symptoms involving the urinary system (R30-R39)
- symptoms referable to female genital organs (N94.-)
- symptoms referable to male genital organs (N48-N50)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from R10
The conditions below are not part of R10.9, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, R10.9 and the excluded code may both be reported.
Codes, descriptions and Index entries are from the official ICD-10-CM FY2027 release. Guideline text is quoted from the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting FY 2027. A code must always be verified in the Tabular List before it is reported. Data sources