2025 ICD-10-CM code I60
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Diseases of the circulatory system - Cerebrovascular Diseases 9 Feed
Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. Use additional code, if known, to indicate National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (R29.7-).
The medical necessity for treatment of a subarachnoid hemorrhage is established by the presence of the hemorrhage itself, as it is a life-threatening condition requiring immediate medical attention.
Clinicians responsible for diagnosing and managing I60 include neurologists, neurosurgeons, emergency medicine physicians, and critical care specialists.Their responsibilities involve identifying the source of the bleeding (e.g., ruptured aneurysm), controlling the bleeding, managing complications like increased intracranial pressure, and initiating rehabilitation.
In simple words: A subarachnoid hemorrhage is bleeding in the space between your brain and the surrounding membranes, not caused by an injury.
A nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage is bleeding into the subarachnoid space, which is the area between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater that surrounds the brain. This bleeding is not caused by trauma.
Example 1: A 50-year-old patient presents to the emergency room with a sudden onset of severe headache, described as the "worst headache of their life." Imaging reveals a subarachnoid hemorrhage. The patient has no history of head trauma., A patient with a known aneurysm experiences a sudden, severe headache and is found to have a subarachnoid hemorrhage due to the aneurysm rupture., A patient undergoes a cerebral angiogram that reveals a small subarachnoid hemorrhage. There is no identifiable aneurysm or other vascular malformation.
Documentation for I60 should include details of the patient's symptoms, including the onset, nature, and severity of the headache. Imaging findings (CT, MRI, angiogram) confirming the subarachnoid hemorrhage are crucial. If an underlying cause is identified (e.g., aneurysm, arteriovenous malformation), it should be documented.The NIH Stroke Scale score should be documented if available.
** Excludes1: syphilitic ruptured cerebral aneurysm (A52.05)Excludes2: sequelae of subarachnoid hemorrhage (I69.0-)
- Specialties:Neurology, Neurosurgery, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care
- Place of Service:Emergency Room - Hospital, Inpatient Hospital