In simple words: A hole has formed in the wall of the intestine, but not due to injury or trauma.This is a serious condition.

Perforation of intestine (nontraumatic). This code excludes perforation of intestine with diverticular disease (K57.0, K57.2, K57.4, K57.8), perforation of duodenum (K26.-) and perforation of appendix (K35.2-, K35.3-).

Example 1: A 60-year-old male presents with severe abdominal pain, fever, and signs of sepsis. Imaging reveals a perforation in the small intestine, and there's no history of trauma or known diverticular disease. The physician diagnoses a nontraumatic perforation of the intestine (K63.1)., A patient with a history of Crohn's disease develops sudden, severe abdominal pain. Diagnostic tests confirm a perforation in the colon, unrelated to any recent trauma. K63.1 would be used, as it's not related to diverticular disease or appendicitis., An elderly patient taking NSAIDs for arthritis presents with acute abdominal pain and signs of peritonitis. Imaging reveals a perforated ulcer in the stomach, with no evidence of trauma. While not strictly a perforation of the intestine, the closest ICD-10 code might be K63.1, potentially with additional codes for the ulcer and the cause.

Documentation should include imaging findings (e.g., CT scan, X-ray) confirming the perforation, clinical presentation (abdominal pain, fever, signs of sepsis), and absence of trauma or other underlying conditions like diverticulitis or appendicitis. Medical history, including medication use (e.g., NSAIDs), should also be documented.