R29.7UpcomingCategory · further specificity required

National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score

Code-level instructions

Code first

the type of cerebral infarction (I60.-, I61.-, I62.-, I63.-)

Excludes 2 · 4

Chapters 18 · Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)

Excludes 2

abnormal findings on antenatal screening of mother (O28.-)
certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
signs and symptoms classified in the body system chapters
signs and symptoms of breast (N63, N64.5)

More specific codes

R29.70NIHSS score 0-9 R29.71NIHSS score 10-19 R29.72NIHSS score 20-29 R29.73NIHSS score 30-39 R29.74NIHSS score 40-42

Claims & coverage

When ICD-10-CM is required

For US diagnosis claims covered by HIPAA, ICD-10-CM is required from October 1, 2015.

Use the service date for outpatient/professional claims and the discharge date for hospital inpatient claims. Earlier encounters use ICD-9-CM; each individual code must also be valid for the applicable date.

Official coding guidelines → · CMS ↗

First observed · 2016-10-01

Code history

Latest recorded change · FY2027

ChangedUnchanged

FY2027UpcomingSelected edition

Effective from 2026-10-01

Code-level rules changed

National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score

Category — select a more specific code

CDC/NCHS · FY2027

All editions (18)

All editions	Effective from	Code history
FY2017	2016-10-01	Added
FY2018	2017-10-01	No tabular change
FY2019	2018-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020	2019-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020 · April	2020-04-01	No tabular change
FY2021	2020-10-01	Code-level rules changed
FY2021 · 01-01	2021-01-01	No tabular change
FY2022	2021-10-01	No tabular change
FY2022 · 04-01	2022-04-01	No tabular change
FY2023	2022-10-01	No tabular change
FY2023 · 04-01	2023-04-01	No tabular change
FY2024	2023-10-01	No tabular change
FY2024 · 04-01	2024-04-01	No tabular change
FY2025	2024-10-01	No tabular change
FY2025 · 04-01	2025-04-01	No tabular change
FY2026	2025-10-01	No tabular change
FY2026 · April	2026-04-01	No tabular change
FY2027	2026-10-01	Code-level rules changed

Code-level instructions

Code first

the type of cerebral infarction (I60.-, I61.-, I62.-, I63.-)

Inherited instructions

Chapters 18 · Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)

Excludes 2

abnormal findings on antenatal screening of mother (O28.-)
certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
signs and symptoms classified in the body system chapters
signs and symptoms of breast (N63, N64.5)

Note

This chapter includes symptoms, signs, abnormal results of clinical or other investigative procedures, and ill-defined conditions regarding which no diagnosis classifiable elsewhere is recorded.
Signs and symptoms that point rather definitely to a given diagnosis have been assigned to a category in other chapters of the classification. In general, categories in this chapter include the less well-defined conditions and symptoms that, without the necessary study of the case to establish a final diagnosis, point perhaps equally to two or more diseases or to two or more systems of the body. Practically all categories in the chapter could be designated 'not otherwise specified', 'unknown etiology' or 'transient'. The Alphabetical Index should be consulted to determine which symptoms and signs are to be allocated here and which to other chapters. The residual subcategories, numbered .8, are generally provided for other relevant symptoms that cannot be allocated elsewhere in the classification.
The conditions and signs or symptoms included in categories R00-R94 consist of:
(a) cases for which no more specific diagnosis can be made even after all the facts bearing on the case have been investigated;
(b) signs or symptoms existing at the time of initial encounter that proved to be transient and whose causes could not be determined;
(c) provisional diagnosis in a patient who failed to return for further investigation or care;
(d) cases referred elsewhere for investigation or treatment before the diagnosis was made;
(e) cases in which a more precise diagnosis was not available for any other reason;
(f) certain symptoms, for which supplementary information is provided, that represent important problems in medical care in their own right.

More specific codes

R29.70NIHSS score 0-9Category · further specificity required R29.71NIHSS score 10-19Category · further specificity required R29.72NIHSS score 20-29Category · further specificity required R29.73NIHSS score 30-39Category · further specificity required R29.74NIHSS score 40-42Category · further specificity required

Official index references (2)

NIHSS(National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) score (1)

NIHSS(National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) scoreDisease index

Score, NIHSS(National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) (1)

Score, NIHSS(National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale)Disease index

Related codes

Other entries in the same category; these are not automatic substitutes.

Code	Description	Category · further specificity required
R29.0	Tetany	Billable / specific
R29.1	Meningismus	Billable / specific
R29.2	Abnormal reflex	Billable / specific
R29.3	Abnormal posture	Billable / specific
R29.4	Clicking hip	Billable / specific
R29.5	Transient paralysis	Billable / specific
R29.6	Repeated falls	Billable / specific
R29.8	Other symptoms and signs involving the nervous and musculoskeletal systems	Category · further specificity required
R29.9	Unspecified symptoms and signs involving the nervous and musculoskeletal systems	Category · further specificity required

Official titles and instructions are preserved in their source language. Official sources ↗

References from other codes (4)

I60 · Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage

Use additional code · code, if known, to indicate National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (R29.7-)

I61 · Nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage

Use additional code · code, if known, to indicate National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (R29.7-)

I62 · Other and unspecified nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage

Use additional code · code, if known, to indicate National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (R29.7-)

I63 · Cerebral infarction

Use additional code · code, if known, to indicate National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (R29.7-)

Chapters 18 · Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)

Excludes 2

abnormal findings on antenatal screening of mother (O28.-)
certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
signs and symptoms classified in the body system chapters
signs and symptoms of breast (N63, N64.5)

Note

This chapter includes symptoms, signs, abnormal results of clinical or other investigative procedures, and ill-defined conditions regarding which no diagnosis classifiable elsewhere is recorded.
Signs and symptoms that point rather definitely to a given diagnosis have been assigned to a category in other chapters of the classification. In general, categories in this chapter include the less well-defined conditions and symptoms that, without the necessary study of the case to establish a final diagnosis, point perhaps equally to two or more diseases or to two or more systems of the body. Practically all categories in the chapter could be designated 'not otherwise specified', 'unknown etiology' or 'transient'. The Alphabetical Index should be consulted to determine which symptoms and signs are to be allocated here and which to other chapters. The residual subcategories, numbered .8, are generally provided for other relevant symptoms that cannot be allocated elsewhere in the classification.
The conditions and signs or symptoms included in categories R00-R94 consist of:
(a) cases for which no more specific diagnosis can be made even after all the facts bearing on the case have been investigated;
(b) signs or symptoms existing at the time of initial encounter that proved to be transient and whose causes could not be determined;
(c) provisional diagnosis in a patient who failed to return for further investigation or care;
(d) cases referred elsewhere for investigation or treatment before the diagnosis was made;
(e) cases in which a more precise diagnosis was not available for any other reason;
(f) certain symptoms, for which supplementary information is provided, that represent important problems in medical care in their own right.