2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R29.738NIHSS score 38

ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R25-R29›R29

ICD-10-CM R29.738
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

R29.738 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for NIHSS score 38. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 951. The code is not accepted as a principal diagnosis by the Medicare Code Editor. 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 Cerebral infarction.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
R29.738
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
NIHSS score 38
Short Description
NIHSS score 38
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
R29.73
NIHSS score 30-39

Code Classification

ChapterR00–R99Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified
SectionR25-R29Symptoms and signs involving the nervous and musculoskeletal systems
CategoryR29Other symptoms and signs involving the nervous and musculoskeletal systems
This CodeR29.738NIHSS score 38

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for R29.738.

Unacceptable principal diagnosis
There are selected codes that describe a circumstance which influences an individual's health status but not a current illness or injury, or codes that are not specific manifestations but may be due to an underlying cause. These codes are considered unacceptable as a principal diagnosis.

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to R29.738: its own notes plus those printed at R29.7 and Chapter 18. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

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 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)

Code First

The underlying condition named in the note is sequenced before this code.

From R29.7 National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score applies to 43 codes

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 R29.738, its category, or a range that includes it.

Use Additional Code 4

These codes say to use an additional code from the note, and R29.738 is one of the codes named.

  • I60 Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage
    code, if known, to indicate National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (R29.7-) names R29.7-, which includes this code
  • I61 Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage
    code, if known, to indicate National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (R29.7-) names R29.7-, which includes this code
  • I62 Other and unspecified nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage
    code, if known, to indicate National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (R29.7-) names R29.7-, which includes this code
  • I63 Cerebral infarction
    code, if known, to indicate National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (R29.7-) names R29.7-, which includes this code

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR CIR020
Cerebral infarction
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No

Convert R29.738 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
No Map There is no ICD-9 equivalent for this code.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2019AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2018.
FY 2020–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About R29.738Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for NIHSS score 38?

The ICD-10-CM code for NIHSS score 38 is R29.738 (sometimes written as R29738). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is R29.738 (NIHSS score 30-39) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report NIHSS score 38 on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does R29.738 group to?

On inpatient claims, NIHSS score 38 maps to MS-DRG 951 (other Factors Influencing Health Status), which carries a relative weight of 0.5574. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can R29.738 be a principal diagnosis?

No. The Medicare Code Editor rejects this code as a principal diagnosis because NIHSS score 38 describes a circumstance that influences health status rather than a current illness. Report it as a secondary diagnosis.

What is coded first with R29.738?

The Code First note at R29.7, which applies to R29.738, reads: the type of cerebral infarction (I60.-, I61.-, I62.-, I63.-). When one of these applies, it is sequenced before R29.738.