K81.0
K81.0: Acute cholecystitis
Billable / specific codeICD-10-CM
K81.0 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for acute cholecystitis. It is valid for submission on a claim.
Check K81.0 with the rest of the claim: free scrubberInclusion terms
Alternative wordings a physician may use in the chart for this same code.
- Abscess of gallbladder
- Angiocholecystitis
- Emphysematous (acute) cholecystitis
- Empyema of gallbladder
- Gangrene of gallbladder
- Gangrenous cholecystitis
- Suppurative cholecystitis
Other codes that can never be billed with K81.0
Their own Excludes1 notes name this code, so the conflict is not listed above.
- K82.4Cholesterolosis of gallbladder
Risk adjustment
No CMS-HCC V28 category: this code does not change a RAF score.
Medicare coverage
K81.0 is named in 3 Medicare coverage policies: 3 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which one applies depends on your Medicare contractor.
- A56421Billing and Coding: CT of the Abdomen and Pelvis
- A57063Billing and Coding: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
- A57326Billing and Coding: Electrocardiograms
Alphabetic index entries that lead here
- Abscess›gallbladder
- Cholecystitis›acute(emphysematous) (gangrenous) (suppurative)
- Empyema›gallbladder
- Gallbladder›acute
- Septic›gallbladder(acute)
- Suppuration, suppurative›gallbladder(acute)
Code history
Unchanged in every release from FY2024 to FY2027.