K51.912

Billable

Ulcerative colitis, unspecified with intestinal obstruction

HCC Category Mapping

RxHCCHCC 67 — Inflammatory Bowel Disease

0.000

What This Code Means

Ulcerative colitis of unspecified extent with a blockage in the intestines.

Coding Tips

•Verify whether the obstruction is partial or complete, as this affects clinical severity and treatment decisions.
•Distinguish between obstruction caused by active inflammation versus stricture formation, as this may require additional coding.

Clinical Significance

Ulcerative colitis, unspecified, with intestinal obstruction indicates bowel blockage complicating ulcerative colitis of undetermined extent. Intestinal obstruction is a serious complication requiring urgent evaluation. In this clinical scenario, imaging performed to evaluate the obstruction should also help clarify the disease extent for more specific coding.

Documentation Requirements

✓Confirmed ulcerative colitis diagnosis
✓Imaging evidence of intestinal obstruction
✓Documentation of obstruction type (partial vs. complete) and location
✓Provider statement linking obstruction to the colitis
✓Treatment plan for obstruction management
✓Assessment for toxic megacolon

Commonly Confused Codes

K51.912 vs K56.69 — K56.69 is other intestinal obstruction unrelated to inflammatory bowel disease K51.912 vs K51.012/K51.312/K51.512 — Use extent-specific codes when the anatomic extent is known K51.912 vs K51.90 — K51.90 is without complications

Code Hierarchy

└K51Ulcerative colitis └K51.9Ulcerative colitis, unspecified └K51.91Ulcerative colitis, unspecified, with complications └K51.912Ulcerative colitis, unspecified with intestinal obstruction

└K51.912Ulcerative colitis, unspecified with intestinal obstruction