K65
Header — not billablePeritonitis
The ICD-10 code for peritonitis is K65.
K65 is a non-billable header code. It groups related conditions but cannot be used on its own for reimbursement — select one of the 7 more specific codes below.
Clinical notes
Code also
Two codes may be needed to fully describe a condition, but unlike Code First/Use Additional Code, the sequencing order is not mandated by convention.
- if applicable diverticular disease of intestine (K57.-)
Excludes1 (not coded here)
An Excludes1 note is a pure exclusion: the excluded condition and this code should never be reported together, because the two conditions cannot occur at the same time (e.g. a congenital form vs. an acquired form of the same disease).
- acute appendicitis with generalized peritonitis (K35.2-)
- aseptic peritonitis (T81.6)
- benign paroxysmal peritonitis (E85.0)
- chemical peritonitis (T81.6)
- gonococcal peritonitis (A54.85)
- neonatal peritonitis (P78.0-P78.1)
- pelvic peritonitis, female (N73.3-N73.5)
- periodic familial peritonitis (E85.0)
- peritonitis due to talc or other foreign substance (T81.6)
- peritonitis in chlamydia (A74.81)
- peritonitis in diphtheria (A36.89)
- peritonitis in syphilis (late) (A52.74)
- peritonitis in tuberculosis (A18.31)
- peritonitis with or following abortion or ectopic or molar pregnancy (O00-O07, O08.0)
- peritonitis with or following appendicitis (K35.-)
- puerperal peritonitis (O85)
- retroperitoneal infections (K68.-)
Documentation support
General coding-documentation guidance — not a substitute for payer-specific requirements or professional coding judgment.
- •This is a non-billable header code. Documentation must support a more specific child code before this diagnosis can be reported on a claim.
- •Confirm the excluded condition(s) listed above are not also present — Excludes1 conditions cannot be coded together with this one.
- •If the associated manifestation or related condition noted above is also documented, an additional code should be reported alongside this one.
- •As a general rule, code to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation in the medical record.