Cerebral infarction due to embolism of unsp cerebral artery

This diagnosis code signifies a stroke resulting from a blockage in a cerebral artery caused by an embolus, where the specific artery affected is not documented. An embolus is a detached intravascular mass (solid, liquid, or gaseous) that is carried by the blood to a site distant from its origin, where it lodges and obstructs the lumen. This leads to tissue death (infarction) in the brain region supplied by that artery.

Use this code when medical record documentation clearly states a cerebral infarction due to an embolism, but the physician has not specified which cerebral artery was occluded. This is appropriate when the etiology is confirmed as embolic, but further anatomical detail is lacking.

• Ensure documentation explicitly states "embolism" as the cause of the cerebral infarction.
• Do not use this code if the documentation specifies a particular cerebral artery (e.g., middle cerebral artery, anterior cerebral artery).
• Always sequence this code after any acute stroke codes (e.g., I63.x) if applicable, following ICD-10-CM sequencing guidelines for acute cerebrovascular events.