2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R19.5Other fecal abnormalities
ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R10-R19›R19
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
R19.5 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other fecal abnormalities. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) 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. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Abdominal pain and other digestive/abdomen signs and symptoms.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Abnormal composition of feces
- Abnormal consistency of stool
- Abnormal feces
- Acholic stool
- Amount of mucus in stool abnormal
- Black feces
- Breast milk stool
- Bright red feces
- Change in stool caliber
- Change in stool consistency
- Colorectal cancer detected by DNA-based stool screening
- Creamy stool
- Dark red feces
- Dark stools
- Decreased stool caliber
- Dry stool
- Fatty stool
- Fecal fat excessive
- Fecal fat level - finding
- Fecal starch - finding
- Fecal starch granules excess
- Feces color: green
- Feces color: meconium
- Feces contents abnormal
- Feces examination: cells
- Feces examination: growth
- Feces odor finding
- Feces odor: musty
- Feces pH - finding
- Feces pH more acidic than reference range
- Feces pH more alkaline than reference range
- Feces quantity bulky
- Feces quantity finding
- Feces quantity sparse
- Feces: fresh blood present
- Feces: gallstones present
- Feces: polyps present
- Feces: undigested meat fibers
- Finding of presence of fecal reducing substances
- Finding of size of stool
- Floating feces
- Food in stool
- Frothy stool
- Hard stool
- Hematochezia
- Increased feces output
- Lactose detected in stool specimen by chromatography
- Large stool
- Liquid stool
- Loose stool
- Mucus in stool
- Occult blood detected in feces
- Occult blood detected in feces by immunoassay
- Offensive feces odor
- Orange feces
- Pale feces
- Passage of rice water stools
- Pus in stool
- Red currant jelly stool
- Red stools
- Red-streaked feces
- Reducing substances detected in feces
- Seedy stool
- Small stool
- Soft stool
- Starvation stool
- Stool color abnormal
- Stool flecked with blood
- Stool like rabbit's
- Sugar chromatography pattern - finding
- Tablet in stool
- Trace occult blood detected in feces
- Trisaccharide detected in stool specimen by chromatography
- Worms in stool
- Yellow color of feces
Tabular List NotesGuidance
Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.
Inclusion Terms
- Abnormal stool color
- Bulky stools
- Mucus in stools
- Occult blood in feces
- Occult blood in stools
Type 1 Excludes
These terms are the conditions for which that code is to be used. The terms may be synonyms of the code title, or, in the case of "other specified" codes, the terms are a list of the various conditions assigned to that code. The inclusion terms are not necessarily exhaustive. Additional terms found only in the Alphabetic Index may also be assigned to a code.
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
- Abnormal, abnormality, abnormalities - See Also: Anomaly;
- feces (color) (contents) (mucus) - R19.5
- stool (color) (contents) (mucus) - R19.5
- guaiac positive - R19.5
- Occult
- blood in feces (stools) - R19.5
External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance
References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.
- Abnormal, abnormality, abnormalities
- feces (color) (contents) (mucus)
- Abnormal, abnormality, abnormalities
- stool (color) (contents) (mucus)
- Abnormal, abnormality, abnormalities
- stool (color) (contents) (mucus)
- guaiac positive
- Blood
- in
- feces
- occult
- Blood
- occult in feces
- Bulky
- stools
- Fat
- in stool
- Mucus
- in stool
- Occult
- blood in feces (stools)
- Pus
- in
- stool
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
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 R19.5 to ICD-9-CMHistory
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About R19.5Overview
Is R19.5 a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report other fecal abnormalities on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What MS-DRG does R19.5 group to?
When other fecal abnormalities is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 391, 392, with relative weights from 0.7796 to 1.2683 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can R19.5 be a principal diagnosis?
Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the other fecal abnormalities is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of R19.5?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, other fecal abnormalities converts to ICD-9-CM 787.7 (abnormal feces) and 792.1 (abn find-stool contents). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.
Footnotes
[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.
