2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R15.1Fecal smearing

ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R10-R19›R15

ICD-10-CM R15.1
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

R15.1 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for fecal smearing. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 391 through 392. As a symptom code, it should not be used as a principal diagnosis once a related definitive diagnosis has been established. Coders also document this condition as fecal soiling co-occurrent and due to fecal incontinence. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Abdominal pain and other digestive/abdomen signs and symptoms.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
R15.1
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Fecal smearing
Short Description
Fecal smearing
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
R15
Fecal incontinence

Code Classification

ChapterR00–R99Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified
SectionR10-R19Symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen
CategoryR15Fecal incontinence
This CodeR15.1Fecal smearing

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Fecal soiling co-occurrent and due to fecal incontinence
  • Soiling

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to R15.1: its own notes plus those printed at R15, block R10-R19, and Chapter 18. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

Includes

Further defines, or gives examples of, the content of the category.

From R15 Fecal incontinence applies to 4 codes
  • encopresis NOS

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.

  • Fecal soiling

Excludes1

Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

From R15 Fecal incontinence applies to 4 codes
  • fecal incontinence of nonorganic origin (F98.1)

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.

From Block R10-R19 Symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen applies to 99 codes
  • 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)
From Chapter 18 (R00-R99) Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified applies to 774 codes
  • abnormal findings on antenatal screening of mother (O28.-)
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
  • signs and symptoms classified in the body system chapters
  • signs and symptoms of breast (N63, N64.5)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 18 (R00-R99) Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified applies to 774 codes
  • 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 R15.1, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 1

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming R15.1: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • F98.1 Encopresis not due to a substance or known physiological condition
    encopresis NOS (R15.-) names R15.-, which includes this code

Excludes2 1

These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming R15.1: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.

  • K62 Other diseases of anus and rectum
    fecal incontinence (R15.-) names R15.-, which includes this code

Use Additional Code 3

These codes say to use an additional code from the note, and R15.1 is one of the codes named.

  • K62.81 Anal sphincter tear (healed) (nontraumatic) (old)
    code for any associated fecal incontinence (R15.-) names R15.-, which includes this code
  • K62.89 Other specified diseases of anus and rectum
    code for any associated fecal incontinence (R15.-) names R15.-, which includes this code
  • N81.6 Rectocele
    code for any associated fecal incontinence, if applicable (R15.-) names R15.-, which includes this code

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR SYM006
Abdominal pain and other digestive/abdomen signs and symptoms
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Fecal Incontinence

    failure of voluntary control of the anal sphincters, with involuntary passage of feces and flatus.

Patient EducationClinical

Bowel Movement

A bowel movement is the last stop in the movement of food through your digestive tract. Your stool passes out of your body through the rectum and anus. Another name for stool is feces. It is made of what is left after your digestive system (stomach, small intestine, and colon) absorbs nutrients and fluids from what you eat and drink.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert R15.1 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
787.62 Fecal smearing
Exact Match The mapping is direct, with no qualifiers.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About R15.1Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for fecal smearing?

The ICD-10-CM code for fecal smearing is R15.1 (sometimes written as R151). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is R15.1 (Fecal incontinence) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report fecal smearing on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does R15.1 group to?

When fecal smearing is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 392, 391, with relative weights from 0.7645 to 1.2389 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can R15.1 be a principal diagnosis?

Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the fecal smearing is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.

Can R15.1 be reported with F98.1?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at R15, which applies to R15.1, lists "fecal incontinence of nonorganic origin (F98.1)". 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).