Acute infarction of small intestine, extent unspecified

This code signifies an acute episode of tissue death in the small intestine due to a sudden lack of blood supply, where the specific portion or extent of the infarction is not documented. It indicates a severe and emergent condition resulting from ischemia.

Assign this code when medical record documentation clearly states an acute small bowel infarction but does not specify if it's limited to a particular segment (e.g., jejunum, ileum) or if the extent is unknown. Supporting documentation would include physician notes detailing acute mesenteric ischemia, bowel necrosis, or infarction of the small intestine without further anatomical specificity.

• Do not use this code if the specific segment of the small intestine involved (e.g., jejunum, ileum) is documented; instead, use a more specific code from K55.02.
• Always look for documentation regarding the cause of the infarction (e.g., embolism, thrombosis) to potentially assign an additional code.
• This code represents an acute condition; ensure the documentation supports the "acute" nature rather than a chronic or unspecified infarction.