2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R94.5Abnormal results of liver function studies
ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R90-R94›R94
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
R94.5 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for abnormal results of liver function studies. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 441 through 443. 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 alanine aminotransferase below reference range. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Abnormal findings without diagnosis.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Alanine aminotransferase below reference range
- Alanine aminotransferase outside reference range
- Alkaline phosphatase above reference range
- Alkaline phosphatase liver isoenzyme above reference range
- Alkaline phosphatase liver isoenzyme below reference range
- Aspartate transaminase below reference range
- Aspartate transaminase level
- Decreased liver function
- Liver enzymes outside reference range
- Liver function tests outside reference range
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to R94.5: its own notes plus those printed at R94, block R90-R94, and Chapter 18. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.
Includes
Further defines, or gives examples of, the content of the category.
- abnormal results of radionuclide [radioisotope] uptake studies
- abnormal results of scintigraphy
- nonspecific abnormal findings on diagnostic imaging by computerized axial tomography [CAT scan]
- nonspecific abnormal findings on diagnostic imaging by magnetic resonance imaging [MRI][NMR]
- nonspecific abnormal findings on diagnostic imaging by positron emission tomography [PET scan]
- nonspecific abnormal findings on diagnostic imaging by thermography
- nonspecific abnormal findings on diagnostic imaging by ultrasound [echogram]
- nonspecific abnormal findings on diagnostic imaging by X-ray examination
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
- abnormal findings on antenatal screening of mother (O28.-)
- diagnostic abnormal findings classified elsewhere - see Alphabetical Index
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.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
Abnormal, abnormality, abnormalities See Also: Anomaly;
liver R94.5
Findings, abnormal, inconclusive, without diagnosis See Also: Abnormal;
liver R94.5
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
Liver Diseases
Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It helps your body digest food, store energy, and remove poisons.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert R94.5 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About R94.5Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for abnormal results of liver function studies?
The ICD-10-CM code for abnormal results of liver function studies is R94.5 (sometimes written as R945). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is R94.5 (Abnormal results of function studies) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report abnormal results of liver function studies on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does R94.5 group to?
When abnormal results of liver function studies is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 442, 441, 443, with relative weights from 0.6890 to 1.8226 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Can R94.5 be a principal diagnosis?
Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the abnormal results of liver function studies is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.
Can R94.5 be reported with a code from O28?
Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at block R90-R94, which applies to R94.5, lists "abnormal findings on antenatal screening of mother (O28.-)". 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).
