2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R45.6Violent behavior
ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R40-R46›R45
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
R45.6 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for violent behavior. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 880. 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 Symptoms of mental and substance use conditions.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Aggressive biting
- Arson
- Biting other person
- Breaking objects
- Breaking windows
- Bullying
- Cruel behavior
- Cutting other person
- Destructive behavior
- Destructive behavior toward property
- Domestic physically abusive behavior
- Domestic physically abusive behavior towards another adult
- Domestic violence behavior towards another
- Drowning other person
- Emotional bullying
- Fighting
- Garrotting other person
- Gouging other person
- Grabbing hold of other person
- Hitting other person
- Hitting other person with object
- Homicidal behavior
- Intimidation
- Lashing out at other person
- Malicious damage
- Mocking
- Nipping other person
- Physical aggression
- Physical bullying
- Physically abusive behavior
- Physically abusive to partner
- Physically threatening behavior
- Pinching other person
- Pulling other person's hair
- Punching other person
- Pushing other person
- Redirected aggression
- Reinforced aggression
- Sadism
- Sadistic torture
- Scratching other person
- Sexual aggression
- Sexually assaultive behavior
- Shooting other person
- Slapping other person
- Slashing other person with sharp object
- Smashing up furniture
- Stabbing other person
- Strangling other person
- Suffocating other person
- Suffocating other person through smothering
- Threatening behavior
- Torture
- Vandalism
- Violent acts towards others
- Violent motor activity
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to R45.6: its own notes plus those printed at block R40-R46 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.
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 R45.6, its category, or a range that includes it.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
Violence, physical R45.6
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Clinical InformationClinical
Violent Behavior
any action that results in intimidation, harm, damage, or destruction of someone or something.
Patient EducationClinical
Mental Disorders
Mental disorders (or mental illnesses) are conditions that affect your thinking, feeling, mood, and behavior. They may happen over a short period of time or come and go. Some can be chronic (long-lasting). They can affect your ability to relate to others and function each day..
The full article covers:
- What are mental disorders?
- What are some types of mental disorders?
- What causes mental disorders?
- Who is at risk for mental disorders?
- How are mental disorders diagnosed?
- What are the treatments for mental disorders?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert R45.6 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About R45.6Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for violent behavior?
The ICD-10-CM code for violent behavior is R45.6 (sometimes written as R456). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is R45.6 (Symptoms and signs involving emotional state) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report violent behavior on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does R45.6 group to?
When violent behavior is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 880 (acute Adjustment Reaction and Psychosocial Dysfunction), which carries a relative weight of 0.9306. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can R45.6 be a principal diagnosis?
Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the violent behavior is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of R45.6?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, violent behavior converts to ICD-9-CM 300.9 (nonpsychotic disord NOS). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.
