In simple words: This code means the patient has kidney pain, likely from a kidney stone, but the doctor hasn't specified the exact cause or location.

This code represents unspecified renal colic, a type of severe pain in the kidney area caused by a kidney stone or other obstruction.The unspecified nature indicates that the exact cause or location of the colic is not specified in the medical record.

Example 1: A 45-year-old male presents to the emergency department complaining of severe flank pain radiating to the groin.The pain is intermittent, and he denies any fever or chills.A CT scan reveals a small kidney stone in the right ureter. Code N23 is assigned., A 60-year-old female is seen in the clinic with a history of recurrent kidney stones.She reports sudden onset of severe flank pain and nausea.A urinalysis is positive for blood.Code N23 is appropriate as the location and cause of the renal colic are not fully documented., A 28-year-old male is admitted to the hospital with severe, intractable flank pain.The physician suspects a kidney stone based on the patient's history and symptoms, but imaging results are pending.Code N23 can be used as a placeholder before more specific information is available.

A complete history and physical examination, including documentation of the onset, location, character, and severity of pain.Relevant laboratory results (e.g., urinalysis, blood tests).Imaging studies (e.g., ultrasound, CT scan, KUB X-ray) to confirm the diagnosis and identify the cause of renal colic. Documentation of treatment provided (e.g., pain management, procedures).

** This code should be used when the specific type of renal colic cannot be determined from the available documentation.The coder should always attempt to obtain sufficient information to assign a more specific code.