ICD 10 Code For Nausea And Vomiting

It is very important that you know about the ICD 10 Code for nausea and vomiting. This is because this code is required for the diagnosis and treatment of the condition. The ICD 10 Code for nausea and vomiting is R11.2 and it is the American version of the code.

It is important that it is stated as such because several other international versions of ICD 10 code for nausea and vomiting exist and it could be a bit confusing when you find out. The code was effected on October 1, 2018.

The rest of this post will provide you relevant information to nausea and vomiting so hang on and read till the end.

An Overview of Nausea And Vomiting

Don’t get it twisted, neither nausea nor vomiting is a disease. The question is if they are not diseases, what are they? They are symptoms, yes, symptoms of several diseases such as motion sickness, infections, blocked intestines, food poisoning, migraines, concussions, appendicitis, amongst others. In some cases, they are characteristic of more severe ailments like heart attacks, disorders of the central nervous system, cancers, tumors, etc.

ICD 10 code for nausea and vomiting

Differentiating Between Nausea and Vomiting

You are probably wondering if they are different, well, they actually are. Simply put, nausea is that uneasy feeling you experience in your stomach that is accompanied by an urge to vomit. Note that it is not in all cases that you end up vomiting.

On the other hand, vomiting is a forceful throwing up or emptying of the contents of the stomach, voluntarily or involuntarily, through the mouth or buccal cavity. There are several triggers of vomiting and they are grouped into:

  1. Triggers located in the stomach. These include food irritation and poisoning, irritations, and injury.
  2. Triggers in the inner ear. These are sea or motion sickness and dizziness.
  3. Triggers in the brain. These may include tumors, injuries, infections, and migraines.

Who is Prone to Nausea And Vomiting?

These symptoms are common among adults and children. Cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy are likely to experience bouts of nausea and vomiting. Pregnant women, especially those in their first trimester are also very prone to these symptoms. Statistics have revealed that between 50% and 90% of pregnant women experience nausea at least once. While about 25% to 55% get to vomit at least once. This phenomenon is known as “morning sickness.”

Possible Causes of Nausea And Vomiting

Both symptoms can result from similar causes and it shouldn’t be strange considering the fact that they are so related. Nausea can be caused by any form of motion sickness, severe pain, pregnancy, fear, food poisoning, certain smells, chemical toxins, gall bladder disease, and infections.

Causes of vomiting are different based on age. An adult will vomit because of any of viral infections, motion sickness, food poisoning, and certain illnesses. Vomiting is more rampant in children and it could result from overeating, motion sickness, food poisoning, coughing, viral infections, or high fever. Blocked intestines are rare but could cause vomiting, especially in infants.

Both conditions are harmless, the only challenge is that in most cases, they just reveal that there is a more severe illness in the body. Some of these severe conditions include meningitis, appendicitis, brain tumors, concussions, migraine headaches, and encephalitis.

A major risk associated with vomiting is dehydration. This is more rampant with children because they can hardly detect the symptoms. When children suffer vomiting along with diarrhea, then they are most likely going to become dehydrated. An adult offering care must take note of the symptoms such as reduced urination, dry lips, rapid breath and pulse, and sunken eyes.

Controlling Nausea And Vomiting

Several techniques can be employed when trying to control nausea. It is important that after trying these out and there is no improvement in your condition you should visit your physician.

  1. Drink ice-cold or clear drinks.
  2. Eat light and bland foods. Your best bets are plain bread or crackers.
  3. Stay away from sweet, oily, or fried food.
  4. Eat smaller meals very slowly but ensure the meals are frequent.
  5. Ensure you do not mix cold and hot foods.
  6. While drinking your beverages, do so slowly.
  7. Reduce activity after eating to the barest minimum.
  8. Don’t brush your teeth immediately after you eat.
  9. Select your foods from the different food groups.

You can employ these methods to treat vomiting despite the age of the person involved:

  1. Slow drinking of clear liquids in large amounts.
  2. Stay away from solid food until the episode is over.
  3. Take adequate rest.
  4. Discontinue all oral medications temporarily as they are probably the cause and could make it worse.

Once vomiting and diarrhea exceed 24 hours, it is advised that an oral rehydrating solution is administered to avoid dehydration. When the vomiting is a result of treatment procedures such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, morphine, or surgery, the individual can be subjected to some other drugs. The prescription will be based on advice from the medical doctor in charge of your case.

When to See a Doctor

The cause of nausea and vomiting can be discovered easily from the timing. If it occurs after a meal then there is a possibility of peptic ulcer or mental disorder. If they occur between 1 to 8 hours after a meal, it could be a result of food poisoning.

Here is the bottom line, if you have experienced nausea for up to a week then you should visit your doctor, this includes when there is a possibility of pregnancy. Vomiting on the other can be treated at home since it reduces between 6 to 24 hours from the first episode. When you notice that they don’t stop after you have tried home remedies, it is best you visit your physician.

For children less than 6-years-old, they should see the doctor when;

  1. The vomiting exceeds a few hours.
  2. Diarrhea is experienced.
  3. Dehydration is evident.
  4. High fever occurs.
  5. Reduced urination of about 6 hours interval.

Children above 6-years-old should see the doctor when;

  1. Vomiting exceeds a day.
  2. Diarrhea and vomiting exceed a day.
  3. Dehydration is evident.
  4. High fever is experienced.
  5. Reduced urination of about 6 hours interval.

An adult should visit the doctor when;

  1. Vomiting exceeds a day.
  2. Diarrhea and vomiting exceed a day.
  3. There are traces of blood in the vomit.
  4. Reduced alertness.
  5. Rapid pulse and breathing.
  6. Serious headache and stiff neck.
  7. Serious abdominal pain.
  8. Vomiting and high fever are experienced.

ICD 10 Code for Nausea and Vomiting – Wrap Up

I believe this post on ICD 10 Code for nausea and vomiting has been educative and eye-opening. It is important to take the salient pieces of advice in this post when this condition occurs. Note that the ICD 10 Code for nausea and vomiting may be revised in the nearest future but you can trust us to bring you the upgrade once it is done.

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