R10.81 – Abdominal tenderness

ICD-10-CM 2027 diagnosis code · Symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen

Non-billable header

ICD-10-CM code R10.81

Code: R10.81 (claims format: R1081)
Description: Abdominal tenderness
Billable: No – use a more specific code below
Valid for: Dates of service October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 (FY2027)
Chapter: 18. Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)
Block: R10-R19 Symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen
Parent codes: R10 › R10.8

Billable codes under R10.81

R10.81 is a header code and cannot be used on claims. Choose the most specific code:

R10.811 – Right upper quadrant abdominal tendernessBillable
R10.812 – Left upper quadrant abdominal tendernessBillable
R10.813 – Right lower quadrant abdominal tendernessBillable
R10.814 – Left lower quadrant abdominal tendernessBillable
R10.815 – Periumbilic abdominal tendernessBillable
R10.816 – Epigastric abdominal tendernessBillable
R10.817 – Generalized abdominal tendernessBillable
R10.819 – Abdominal tenderness, unspecified siteBillable

Notes for R10.81

Applicable to:

Abdominal tenderness NOS

Excludes2 (not included here):

pain localized to other parts of lower abdomen (R10.3-)
pain localized to upper abdomen (R10.1-)

Notes inherited from parent codes

Instructional notes at a category or block level apply to every code below it.

R10 – Abdominal and pelvic pain

Excludes1 (not coded here):

renal colic (N23)

Excludes2 (not included here):

costovertebral (angle) tenderness (R39.85)
dorsalgia (M54.-)
flatulence and related conditions (R14.-)

Block R10-R19

Excludes2 (not included here):

congenital or infantile pylorospasm (Q40.0)
gastrointestinal hemorrhage (K92.0-K92.2)
intestinal obstruction (K56.-)
newborn gastrointestinal hemorrhage (P54.0-P54.3)
newborn intestinal obstruction (P76.-)
pylorospasm (K31.3)
signs and symptoms involving the urinary system (R30-R39)
symptoms referable to female genital organs (N94.-)
symptoms referable to male genital organs (N48-N50)

Related codes in R10.8

R10.82 – Rebound abdominal tendernessHeader
R10.83 – ColicBillable
R10.84 – Generalized abdominal painBillable
R10.85 – Abdominal pain of multiple sitesBillable
R10.8A – Flank tendernessHeader

Frequently asked questions

What is ICD-10 code R10.81?

R10.81 is the ICD-10-CM code for abdominal tenderness, in the block R10-R19 (Symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen).

Is R10.81 a billable code?

No. R10.81 is a header code with more specific child codes; report one of the billable codes listed above.

What category does R10.81 belong to?

It belongs to category R10 – Abdominal and pelvic pain.

Source: CDC/NCHS ICD-10-CM FY2027 code files, tabular list and index. Reference only – code assignment must follow the official ICD-10-CM guidelines and documentation in the medical record.