Start New EnglishEspañol中文РусскийالعربيةTiếng ViệtFrançaisDeutsch한국어Tagalog Library Performance
BETA v.3.0

2025 ICD-10-CM code K25.5

Chronic or unspecified gastric ulcer with perforation.

It's essential to differentiate between acute and chronic or unspecified gastric ulcers and ensure accurate documentation of the presence of perforation to justify the use of K25.5. If both hemorrhage and perforation are present, K25.6 should be used instead.

Medical necessity for services related to K25.5 hinges on the presence of the perforation complicating the gastric ulcer, requiring immediate medical intervention like surgery or other procedures to address the life-threatening condition.

Clinicians responsible for diagnosing and managing gastrointestinal conditions, including gastroenterologists, surgeons, and primary care physicians, would use this code.

In simple words: This code indicates a long-standing or unspecified stomach ulcer that has created a hole in the stomach wall.

This code signifies a gastric ulcer that is either chronic or of unspecified duration, and is complicated by perforation.A gastric ulcer is a break in the lining of the stomach, and perforation means the ulcer has eroded through the entire stomach wall, creating a hole.

Example 1: A patient with a history of peptic ulcers presents with sudden, severe abdominal pain, rigidity, and signs of sepsis. Imaging reveals free air in the abdominal cavity, confirming a perforated gastric ulcer. K25.5 is used to code the diagnosis., A patient with chronic dyspepsia undergoes an upper endoscopy, which reveals a deep ulcer in the stomach with evidence of surrounding inflammation and scarring.The ulcer is biopsied and found to be benign. Due to the chronicity of the ulcer, K25.5 is assigned, even though perforation is not currently present., During an emergency surgery for a suspected appendicitis, the surgeon discovers a perforated gastric ulcer. While the original suspected diagnosis was incorrect, the actual finding of a perforated gastric ulcer is coded as K25.5.

Documentation should include details of the patient's symptoms, history of ulcer disease, diagnostic findings (e.g., imaging, endoscopy), and any procedures performed. Evidence of chronicity or perforation must be clearly documented to support the use of K25.5.

** For accurate coding, always prioritize the clearest and most legible code representation, and cross-reference with valid medical billing standards using tools like iFrameAI for the most updated information.

** Only Enterprise users with EHR integration can access case-specific answers. Click here to request access.

Discover what matters.

iFrame™ AI's knowledge is aligned with and limited to the materials uploaded by users and should not be interpreted as medical, legal, or any other form of advice by iFrame™.