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  5. Other symptoms and signs involving general sensations and perceptions (R44)

Other symptoms and signs involving general sensations and perceptions (R44)

The ICD-10 code R44 category covers various symptoms and signs related to unusual general sensations and perceptions, including auditory, visual, and other types of hallucinations, along with other sensory disturbances. These codes help healthcare providers specify the kind of perception issues a patient experiences.

Specifically, R44.0 is used for auditory hallucinations, such as hearing voices or sounds without an external source, including synonyms like "thought echo" or "command hallucination." R44.1 identifies visual hallucinations, which may include seeing people, animals, or objects that aren’t there, with terms like "Charles Bonnet syndrome" helping clarify usage. R44.2 covers other hallucinations including tactile, olfactory, or gustatory types; sensations of smell, taste, or touch without real stimuli. When hallucinations cannot be classified, R44.3 is applied. R44.8 captures a wide range of additional sensory perception changes, such as altered body position sense and abnormal pain tolerance, often described with terms like "depersonalization" or "sensory-perceptual alteration." Finally, R44.9 accounts for unspecified symptoms involving general sensation and perception disturbances, useful when details are unclear.

These codes are essential for documenting specific sensory experiences in conditions related to mental health, neurological issues, or metabolic disturbances, ensuring precise communication and appropriate care planning. Searching for "ICD-10 code for auditory hallucinations" or "ICD-10 code for sensory perception symptoms" can help pinpoint the exact code within this section.

Instructional Notations

Type 1 Excludes

A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.

Type 2 Excludes

A type 2 excludes note represents "Not included here". An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.

  • disturbances of skin sensation R20

Clinical Terms

The following clinical terms provide additional context, helping users better understand the clinical background and common associations for each diagnosis listed in this section. Including related terms alongside ICD-10-CM codes supports coders, billers, and healthcare professionals in improving accuracy, enhancing documentation, and facilitating research or patient education.

Charles Bonnet Syndrome

Repetitive visual hallucinations experienced mostly by elderly with diminished visual acuity or visual field loss, with awareness of the fictional nature of their hallucinations. It is not associated with delusions and other sensory hallucinations.

Depersonalization

State in which an individual perceives or experiences a sensation of unreality concerning the self or the environment; it is seen in disorders such as schizophrenia, affection disorders, organic mental disorders, and personality disorders. (APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed.)

Globus Sensation

A feeling of a lump in the throat that occurs between meals in the absence of other gastrointestinal and motility disorders (e.g., DYSPHAGIA; GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX).

Hallucinations

Subjectively experienced sensations in the absence of an appropriate stimulus, but which are regarded by the individual as real. They may be of organic origin or associated with MENTAL DISORDERS.

Hyperalgesia

An increased sensation of pain or discomfort produced by minimally noxious stimuli due to damage to soft tissue containing NOCICEPTORS or injury to a peripheral nerve.

Hyperesthesia

Increased sensitivity to cutaneous stimulation due to a diminished threshold or an increased response to stimuli.

Hypesthesia

Absent or reduced sensitivity to cutaneous stimulation.

Mental Disorders

Psychiatric illness or diseases manifested by breakdowns in the adaptational process expressed primarily as abnormalities of thought, feeling, and behavior producing either distress or impairment of function.

Nociceptors

Peripheral AFFERENT NEURONS which are sensitive to injuries or pain, usually caused by extreme thermal exposures, mechanical forces, or other noxious stimuli. Their cell bodies reside in the DORSAL ROOT GANGLIA. Their peripheral terminals (NERVE ENDINGS) innervate target tissues and transduce noxious stimuli via axons to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.

Phantom Limb

Perception of painful and nonpainful phantom sensations that occur following the complete or partial loss of a limb. The majority of individuals with an amputated extremity will experience the impression that the limb is still present, and in many cases, painful. (From Neurol Clin 1998 Nov;16(4):919-36; Brain 1998 Sep;121(Pt 9):1603-30)

Role Playing

The adopting or performing the role of another significant individual in order to gain insight into the behavior of that person.

Sensation

The process in which specialized SENSORY RECEPTOR CELLS transduce peripheral stimuli (physical or chemical) into NERVE IMPULSES which are then transmitted to the various sensory centers in the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.

Sensation Disorders

Disorders of the special senses (i.e., VISION; HEARING; TASTE; and SMELL) or somatosensory system (i.e., afferent components of the PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM).

Somatosensory Disorders

Disorders of sensory information received from superficial and deep regions of the body. The somatosensory system conveys neural impulses which pertain to proprioception, tactile sensation, thermal sensation, pressure sensation, and pain. PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES; SPINAL CORD DISEASES; and BRAIN DISEASES may be associated with impaired or abnormal somatic sensation.

Vertigo

An illusion of movement, either of the external world revolving around the individual or of the individual revolving in space. Vertigo may be associated with disorders of the inner ear (EAR, INNER); VESTIBULAR NERVE; BRAINSTEM; or CEREBRAL CORTEX. Lesions in the TEMPORAL LOBE and PARIETAL LOBE may be associated with FOCAL SEIZURES that may feature vertigo as an ictal manifestation. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp300-1)