R19.3Abdominal rigidity

R19.3 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for abdominal rigidity. It belongs to category R19 (other symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen), block R10-R19 (symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen) and chapter 18 (symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified). It is a header code, so it can't be reported by itself; one of its 8 subcodes must be used instead.

Within R19 (other symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen), R19.3 is specifically for abdominal rigidity. Related codes cover intra-abdominal and pelvic swelling, mass and lump (R19.0), abnormal bowel sounds (R19.1), visible peristalsis (R19.2), change in bowel habit (R19.4), other fecal abnormalities (R19.5), Halitosis (R19.6), diarrhea, unspecified (R19.7) and other specified symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen (R19.8).

To report this condition, pick the subcode that matches the documentation: R19.30 (unspecified site), R19.31 (rigidity), R19.32 (rigidity), R19.33 (rigidity), R19.34 (rigidity), R19.35 (rigidity), R19.36 (rigidity) and R19.37 (rigidity).

Don't report R19.3 together with the conditions in its Excludes1 note: abdominal rigidity with severe abdominal pain (R10.0).

It has been part of ICD-10-CM since the code set took effect on October 1, 2015 and hasn't changed since.