Cardiac murmur, unspecified

This code describes the presence of an abnormal heart sound detected during a physical examination, where the specific type or cause of the murmur has not yet been determined. It indicates an audible turbulent blood flow through the heart valves or great vessels without further diagnostic clarification.

Use this code when a clinician documents "cardiac murmur," "heart murmur," or "unspecified murmur" without providing additional details regarding its characteristics (e.g., systolic, diastolic, innocent, pathological) or underlying etiology. This is appropriate for initial encounters where a murmur is noted but further workup is pending.

• Avoid using this code if the type or cause of the murmur is known; instead, code to the most specific diagnosis available (e.g., I35.0 for aortic valve stenosis).
• This code is often a temporary diagnosis used until further diagnostic testing (e.g., echocardiogram) clarifies the nature of the murmur.
• Do not use this code for murmurs documented as "innocent" or "functional" if a more specific code exists for those conditions.