2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R68.13Apparent life threatening event in infant (ALTE)

ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R50-R69›R68

ICD-10-CM R68.13
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

R68.13 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for apparent life threatening event in infant (ALTE). It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). The code is restricted by the Medicare Code Editor to pediatric patients (age 0 through 17). 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 apparent life-threatening event in infant. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Other general signs and symptoms.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
R68.13
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Apparent life threatening event in infant (ALTE)
Short Description
Apparent life threatening event in infant (ALTE)
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
R68.1
Nonspecific symptoms peculiar to infancy

Code Classification

ChapterR00–R99Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified
SectionR50-R69General symptoms and signs
CategoryR68Other general symptoms and signs
This CodeR68.13Apparent life threatening event in infant (ALTE)

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for R68.13.

Pediatric diagnoses
The Medicare Code Editor detects inconsistencies in pediatric cases by checking a patient's age and any diagnosis on the patient's record. The pediatric code edits apply to patients age range is 0–17 years inclusive (e.g., Reye's syndrome, routine child health exam).

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Apparent life-threatening event in infant

Tabular List NotesGuidance

Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.

Inclusion Terms

  • Apparent life threatening event in newborn
  • Brief resolved unexplained event (BRUE)

Code First

  • confirmed diagnosis, if known

Use Additional Code

  • code(s) for associated signs and symptoms if no confirmed diagnosis established, or if signs and symptoms are not associated routinely with confirmed diagnosis, or provide additional information for cause of ALTE

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • ALTE(apparent life threatening event) in newborn and infant
    • BRUE(brief resolved unexplained event)
    • Event
      • apparent life threatening in newborn and infant (ALTE)
    • Event
      • brief resolved unexplained event (BRUE)
    • Newborn(infant) (liveborn) (singleton)
      • affected by
        • apparent life threatening event (ALTE)

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR SYM016
Other general signs and symptoms
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Convert R68.13 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
799.82 Appar life threat-infant
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 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About R68.13Overview

Is R68.13 (Nonspecific symptoms peculiar to infancy) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report apparent life threatening event in infant (ALTE) on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Can R68.13 be a principal diagnosis?

Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the apparent life threatening event in infant (ALTE) is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.

Who can R68.13 be reported for?

The Medicare Code Editor checks apparent life threatening event in infant (ALTE) against patient demographics: this code is intended for pediatric patients (age 0 through 17). Claims outside these limits are flagged as inconsistent.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of R68.13?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, apparent life threatening event in infant (ALTE) converts to ICD-9-CM 799.82 (appar life threat-infant). The mapping is a direct match.

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.