2021 ICD-10-CM Code M79.646
Pain in unspecified finger(s)
Valid for Submission
M79.646 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of pain in unspecified finger(s). The code M79.646 is valid during the fiscal year 2021 from October 01, 2020 through September 30, 2021 for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions.
The ICD-10-CM code M79.646 might also be used to specify conditions or terms like hand joint pain, pain in finger, pain in thumb or thumb joint painful on movement.
The code is commonly used in family practice, internal medicine , pediatrics medical specialties to specify clinical concepts such as pain in limb.
Unspecified diagnosis codes like M79.646 are acceptable when clinical information is unknown or not available about a particular condition. Although a more specific code is preferable, unspecified codes should be used when such codes most accurately reflect what is known about a patient's condition. Specific diagnosis codes should not be used if not supported by the patient's medical record.
| ICD-10: | M79.646 |
| Short Description: | Pain in unspecified finger(s) |
| Long Description: | Pain in unspecified finger(s) |
Code Classification
Approximate Synonyms
The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code:
- Hand joint pain
- Pain in finger
- Pain in thumb
- Thumb joint painful on movement
Diagnostic Related Groups - MS-DRG Mapping
The ICD-10 code M79.646 is grouped in the following groups for version MS-DRG V38.0 What are Diagnostic Related Groups?
The Diagnostic Related Groups (DRGs) are a patient classification scheme which provides a means of relating the type of patients a hospital treats. The DRGs divides all possible principal diagnoses into mutually exclusive principal diagnosis areas referred to as Major Diagnostic Categories (MDC). applicable from 10/01/2020 through 09/30/2021.
Convert M79.646 to ICD-9 Code
The General Equivalency Mapping (GEM) crosswalk indicates an approximate mapping between the ICD-10 code M79.646 its ICD-9 equivalent. The approximate mapping means there is not an exact match between the ICD-10 code and the ICD-9 code and the mapped code is not a precise representation of the original code.
Information for Patients
Finger Injuries and Disorders
You use your fingers and thumbs to do everything from grasping objects to playing musical instruments to typing. When there is something wrong with them, it can make life difficult. Common problems include
- Injuries that result in fractures, ruptured ligaments and dislocations
- Osteoarthritis - wear-and-tear arthritis. It can also cause deformity.
- Tendinitis - irritation of the tendons
- Dupuytren's contracture - a hereditary thickening of the tough tissue that lies just below the skin of your palm. It causes the fingers to stiffen and bend.
- Trigger finger - an irritation of the sheath that surrounds the flexor tendons. It can cause the tendon to catch and release like a trigger.
- Claw hand (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Clubbing of the fingers or toes (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Finger pain (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Mallet finger - aftercare (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Polydactyly (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Smashed fingers (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Trigger finger (Medical Encyclopedia)
[Learn More]
Pain
Pain is a signal in your nervous system that something may be wrong. It is an unpleasant feeling, such as a prick, tingle, sting, burn, or ache. Pain may be sharp or dull. It may come and go, or it may be constant. You may feel pain in one area of your body, such as your back, abdomen, chest, pelvis, or you may feel pain all over.
Pain can be helpful in diagnosing a problem. If you never felt pain, you might seriously hurt yourself without knowing it, or you might not realize you have a medical problem that needs treatment.
There are two types of pain: acute and chronic. Acute pain usually comes on suddenly, because of a disease, injury, or inflammation. It can often be diagnosed and treated. It usually goes away, though sometimes it can turn into chronic pain. Chronic pain lasts for a long time, and can cause severe problems.
Pain is not always curable, but there are many ways to treat it. Treatment depends on the cause and type of pain. There are drug treatments, including pain relievers. There are also non-drug treatments, such as acupuncture, physical therapy, and sometimes surgery.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Aches and pains during pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Neuralgia (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Palliative care - managing pain (Medical Encyclopedia)
[Learn More]
Code History
- FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
- FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
- FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
- FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
- FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
- FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016 (First year ICD-10-CM implemented into the HIPAA code set)