2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R78.4Finding of other drugs of addictive potential in blood
ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R70-R79›R78
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
R78.4 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for finding of other drugs of addictive potential in blood. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 947 through 948. 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 Abnormal findings related to substance use.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
- Findings, abnormal, inconclusive, without diagnosis - See Also: Abnormal;
External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance
References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.
- Findings, abnormal, inconclusive, without diagnosis
- in blood (of substance not normally found in blood)
- addictive drug NEC
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Drug Use and Addiction
Drugs are chemical substances that can change how your body and mind work. They include prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs.
The full article covers:
- What are drugs?
- What is drug use?
- What is drug addiction?
- Does everyone who takes drugs become addicted?
- Who is at risk for drug addiction?
- What are the signs that someone has a drug problem?
- What are the treatments for drug addiction?
- Can drug use and addiction be prevented?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert R78.4 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About R78.4Overview
Is R78.4 a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report finding of other drugs of addictive potential in blood on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What MS-DRG does R78.4 group to?
When finding of other drugs of addictive potential in blood is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 947, 948, with relative weights from 0.8005 to 1.2694 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can R78.4 be a principal diagnosis?
Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the finding of other drugs of addictive potential in blood is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of R78.4?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, finding of other drugs of addictive potential in blood converts to ICD-9-CM 790.99 (oth nspcf finding blood). 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.
