2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R50.2Drug induced fever

ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R50-R69›R50

ICD-10-CM R50.2
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

R50.2 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for drug induced fever. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 864. 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 drug-induced hyperpyrexia. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Drug induced or toxic related condition and Fever.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
R50.2
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Drug induced fever
Short Description
Drug induced fever
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
R50
Fever of other and unknown origin

Code Classification

ChapterR00–R99Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified
SectionR50-R69General symptoms and signs
CategoryR50Fever of other and unknown origin
This CodeR50.2Drug induced fever

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Drug-induced hyperpyrexia
  • Hyperpyrexia

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to R50.2: its own notes plus those printed at R50 and Chapter 18. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

Excludes1

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

On R50.2 itself
  • postvaccination (postimmunization) fever (R50.83)
From R50 Fever of other and unknown origin applies to 6 codes
  • chills without fever (R68.83)
  • febrile convulsions (R56.0-)
  • fever of unknown origin during labor (O75.2)
  • fever of unknown origin in newborn (P81.9)
  • hypothermia due to illness (R68.0)
  • malignant hyperthermia due to anesthesia (T88.3)
  • puerperal pyrexia NOS (O86.4)

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)

Use Additional Code

Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.

  • code for adverse effect, if applicable, to identify drug (T36-T50 with fifth or sixth character 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.

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 INJ030
Drug induced or toxic related condition
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes
CCSR SYM002
Fever
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Drug Fever

    drug-induced fever.

Patient EducationClinical

Fever

A fever is a body temperature that is higher than normal. A normal temperature can vary from person to person, but it is usually around 98.6 °F (37 °C). A fever is not a disease. It is usually a sign that your body is trying to fight an illness or infection.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert R50.2 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
780.60 Fever NOS
ApproximateCombination The match is approximate, and more than one code can be needed to describe the source diagnosis. Confirm with contextual judgment.
ICD-9-CM
E947.9 Adv eff medicinal NOS
ApproximateCombination The match is approximate, and more than one code can be needed to describe the source diagnosis. Confirm with contextual judgment.

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 R50.2Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for drug induced fever?

The ICD-10-CM code for drug induced fever is R50.2 (sometimes written as R502). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is R50.2 (Fever of other and unknown origin) a billable code?

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

What MS-DRG does R50.2 group to?

When drug induced fever is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 864 (fever and Inflammatory Conditions), which carries a relative weight of 0.8553. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can R50.2 be a principal diagnosis?

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

Can R50.2 be reported with R50.83?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note on R50.2 lists "postvaccination (postimmunization) fever (R50.83)". 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).