ICD-10 Guide

Uremia

ICD-10 Coding for Uremia(N18.6, R39.2)

PRIMARY SPECIALTYNephrology

COMPLEXITYHigh

LAST UPDATED09/15/2025

Sam Tuffun, PT, DPT

Physical Therapist | Medical Coding & Billing Contributor

Diagnosis Overview

What is Uremia?

Essential facts and insights about Uremia

Key Clinical Considerations:

Elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels
Symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and confusion
Signs of fluid overload, hypertension, and altered mental status

Clinical Information

Clinical Criteria & Documentation Requirements

Patient history including renal function tests and symptoms
Use of terms like 'acute' or 'chronic' uremia as applicable
Examples include lab results showing elevated BUN/creatinine and clinical notes on symptoms

Coding Guidelines

Usage Guidelines & Examples

Follow guidelines for differentiating acute vs chronic uremia.
Common errors include misclassifying acute kidney injury as chronic.

Code Exclusions

Important Exclusions

Conditions like dehydration or acute tubular necrosis that may mimic uremia
Alternative codes for specific renal diseases or complications

Specialty Focus

Primary Specialty

Nephrology

Specialty Applications

Patients with chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, and those on dialysis
Nephrology clinics, hospitals, and outpatient settings

Coding Complexity

High Complexity

This diagnosis requires careful attention to:

Comprehensive clinical documentation
Accurate code selection based on clinical criteria
Proper exclusion considerations
Specialty-specific coding guidelines

Documentation

Documentation Templates

Billing Information

Billing Considerations

Ensure proper documentation for billing
Verify code specificity requirements
Check for any additional codes needed
Review payer-specific guidelines

Common Issues

Insufficient clinical documentation
Incorrect code selection
Missing supporting diagnoses
Timing and frequency documentation

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements?

Include lab results, patient symptoms, and treatment plans.

Billing considerations?

Ensure accurate coding to reflect severity and type of uremia.

Uremia

Diagnosis Overview

Key Clinical Considerations:

Clinical Information

Clinical Criteria & Documentation Requirements

Coding Guidelines

Usage Guidelines & Examples

Code Exclusions

Important Exclusions

Related ICD-10 Codes

Related CPT Codes

Specialty Focus

Primary Specialty

Specialty Applications

Coding Complexity

Documentation

Documentation Templates

Billing Information

Billing Considerations

Common Issues

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements?

Billing considerations?

Uremia

Diagnosis Overview

Key Clinical Considerations:

Clinical Information

Clinical Criteria & Documentation Requirements

Coding Guidelines

Usage Guidelines & Examples

Code Exclusions

Important Exclusions

Related ICD-10 Codes

Related CPT Codes

Specialty Focus

Primary Specialty

Specialty Applications

Coding Complexity

Documentation

Documentation Templates

Billing Information

Billing Considerations

Common Issues

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements?

Billing considerations?