R79Other abnormal findings of blood chemistry

R79 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other abnormal findings of blood chemistry. It belongs to block R70-R79 (abnormal findings on examination of blood, without diagnosis) 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 4 subcodes must be used instead.

To report this condition, pick the subcode that matches the documentation: R79.0 (mineral), R79.1 (profile), R79.8 (chemistry) and R79.9 (unspecified).

Don't report R79 together with the conditions in its Excludes1 note: asymptomatic hyperuricemia (E79.0), hypoglycemia NOS (E16.2), neonatal hypoglycemia (P70.3-P70.4), specific findings indicating disorder of amino-acid metabolism (E70-E72) and 2 more.

The conditions in its Excludes2 note aren't part of R79, but may be coded alongside it if the patient has both: hyperglycemia NOS (R73.9).

Use an additional code to identify any retained foreign body, if applicable (Z18.-).

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