N17.9
Acute kidney failure, unspecified
N17.9 (also written N179) is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for acute kidney failure, unspecified. It is part of the FY2027 code set, effective October 1, 2026. It is one of the 5 codes in category N17 (Acute kidney failure). The Alphabetic Index lists it under 4 entries. Its coding notes include a Code also instruction, 1 Excludes1 entry and 20 Excludes2 entries.
Code also
Two codes may be needed to describe the condition. This note gives no sequencing order.
- associated underlying condition
Excludes1
Not coded here. The listed conditions generally should not be reported together.
Excludes2
Not included here. Both codes may be reported if the patient has both conditions.
- traumatic kidney injury (S37.0-)
Also from chapter/block level (19 notes)
- congenital renal failure (P96.0)
- drug- and heavy-metal-induced tubulo-interstitial and tubular conditions (N14.-)
- extrarenal uremia (R39.2)
- hemolytic-uremic syndrome (D59.3-)
- hepatorenal syndrome (K76.7)
- postpartum hepatorenal syndrome (O90.41)
- posttraumatic renal failure (T79.5)
- prerenal uremia (R39.2)
- renal failure complicating abortion or ectopic or molar pregnancy (O00-O07, O08.4)
- renal failure following labor and delivery (O90.41)
- renal failure postprocedural (N99.0)
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
Care settings
How CMS programs treat this code. These are CMS claim edits and list entries, not coverage or eligibility rules.
Home Health Primary
Accepted as the primary (principal) diagnosis on a home health claim. The Home Health Grouper assigns it to the MMTA - Gastrointestinal tract and Genitourinary system clinical group.
Source: CMS Home Health Grouper Software v07.2.26, effective October 1, 2026Hospital CC
Counts as a complication or comorbidity (CC) when reported as a secondary diagnosis on an inpatient claim. It does not count when the principal diagnosis is one of the 301 codes in its exclusion list. Some MS-DRGs also ignore a CC or MCC that defines the DRG.
Source: CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual v44, effective October 1, 2026, Appendix CIPF Comorbidity
On the CMS IPF comorbidity list.
| Comorbidity category | Factor |
|---|---|
| Renal Failure, Acute | 1.06 |
Inclusion terms
Conditions classified to this code.
- Acute kidney injury (nontraumatic)
Alphabetic Index terms
Terms the official Alphabetic Index lists for this code. 4 entries