2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R06.81Apnea, not elsewhere classified
ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R00-R09›R06
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
R06.81 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for apnea, not elsewhere classified. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 204. As a symptom code, it should not be used as a principal diagnosis once a related definitive diagnosis has been established. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Respiratory signs and symptoms.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Apnea
- Apnea - anesthetic
- Chemoreceptor apnea
- Deglutition apnea
- Difficulty eating
- Difficulty eating due to breathlessness
- Drug-induced apnea
- Ether apnea
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease with apnea
- Induced apnea
- Infantile apnea
- Initial apnea
- Late apnea
- Mivacurium apnea
- Postanesthesia apnea
- Recurrent apnea
- Recurrent apnea of infancy
- Respiratory tract paralysis
- Suxamethonium apnea
- Terminal apnea
- Traumatic apnea
- Vagal apnea
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to R06.81: its own notes plus those printed at R06 and Chapter 18. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.
Applicable To
Conditions this code is used for: synonyms of the title or, for "other specified" codes, the conditions assigned to it. The list is not exhaustive.
- Apnea NOS
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Excludes2
Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may be reported.
Notes
General instructions on how these codes are used.
- This chapter includes symptoms, signs, abnormal results of clinical or other investigative procedures, and ill-defined conditions regarding which no diagnosis classifiable elsewhere is recorded.
- Signs and symptoms that point rather definitely to a given diagnosis have been assigned to a category in other chapters of the classification. In general, categories in this chapter include the less well-defined conditions and symptoms that, without the necessary study of the case to establish a final diagnosis, point perhaps equally to two or more diseases or to two or more systems of the body. Practically all categories in the chapter could be designated 'not otherwise specified', 'unknown etiology' or 'transient'. The Alphabetical Index should be consulted to determine which symptoms and signs are to be allocated here and which to other chapters. The residual subcategories, numbered .8, are generally provided for other relevant symptoms that cannot be allocated elsewhere in the classification.
- The conditions and signs or symptoms included in categories R00-R94 consist of:
- (a) cases for which no more specific diagnosis can be made even after all the facts bearing on the case have been investigated;
- (b) signs or symptoms existing at the time of initial encounter that proved to be transient and whose causes could not be determined;
- (c) provisional diagnosis in a patient who failed to return for further investigation or care;
- (d) cases referred elsewhere for investigation or treatment before the diagnosis was made;
- (e) cases in which a more precise diagnosis was not available for any other reason;
- (f) certain symptoms, for which supplementary information is provided, that represent important problems in medical care in their own right.
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name R06.81, its category, or a range that includes it.
Excludes1 2
These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming R06.81: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
Apnea, apneic (of) (spells) R06.81
Breathlessness R06.81
Smothering spells R06.81
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Clinical InformationClinical
Apnea
a transient absence of spontaneous respiration.
Patient EducationClinical
Breathing Problems
When you're short of breath, it's hard or uncomfortable for you to take in the oxygen your body needs. You may feel as if you're not getting enough air. Sometimes you can have mild breathing problems because of a stuffy nose or intense exercise. But shortness of breath can also be a sign of a serious disease.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert R06.81 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About R06.81Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for apnea, not elsewhere classified?
The ICD-10-CM code for apnea, not elsewhere classified is R06.81 (sometimes written as R0681). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is R06.81 (Other abnormalities of breathing) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report apnea, not elsewhere classified on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does R06.81 group to?
When apnea, not elsewhere classified is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 204 (respiratory Signs and Symptoms), which carries a relative weight of 0.8208. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can R06.81 be a principal diagnosis?
Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the apnea, not elsewhere classified is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.
Can R06.81 be reported with a code from P28.4?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note on R06.81 lists "apnea (of) newborn (P28.4-)". An Excludes1 note means the excluded code is never reported together with this one; the only exception is when the two conditions are unrelated to each other (Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
