R85 ICD-10-CA category: Abnormal findings in specimens from digestive organs and abdominal cavity

R85 isn’t a code on its own. Choose one of the 10 codes beneath it, the one the documentation supports.

Official description

R85

Abnormal findings in specimens from digestive organs and abdominal cavity

ICD-10-CA · Canada

Codes in R85

R85 isn’t a code on its own. Open the code that matches what the note documents.

Notes for R85

As CIHI prints them, with any note R85 takes from the headings above it.

Includes

  • Abnormal findings in:• peritoneal fluid• saliva

Excludes

Conditions classified elsewhere.

  • Faecal abnormalities (R19.58)
  • Abnormal findings on:• antenatal screening of mother (O28.-)• examination of• blood, without diagnosis (R70-R79)• urine, without diagnosis (R80-R82)diagnostic abnormal findings classified elsewhere - see Alphabetical IndexFrom R83-R89 Abnormal findings on examination of other body fluids, substances and tissues, without diagnosis
  • Abnormal findings on antenatal screening of mother (O28.-)certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P00-P96)From Chapter 18: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)

Note

  • Signs and symptoms that point rather definitely to a given diagnosis have been assigned to a category in other chapters of the classification. In general, categories in this chapter include the less well-defined conditions and symptoms that, without the necessary study of the case to establish a final diagnosis, point perhaps equally to two or more diseases or to two or more systems of the body. Practically all categories in the chapter could be designated "not otherwise specified", "unknown etiology" or "transient". The Alphabetical Index should be consulted to determine which symptoms and signs are to be allocated here and which to other chapters. The residual subcategories, numbered .8, are generally provided for other relevant symptoms that cannot be allocated elsewhere in the classification.The conditions and signs or symptoms included in categories (R00-R99) consist of:(a) cases for which no more specific diagnosis can be made even after all the facts bearing on the case have been investigated;(b) signs or symptoms existing at the time of initial encounter that proved to be transient and whose causes could not be determined;(c) provisional diagnoses in a patient who failed to return for further investigation or care;(d) cases referred elsewhere for investigation or treatment before the diagnosis was made;(e) cases in which a more precise diagnosis was not available for any other reason;(f) certain symptoms, for which supplementary information is provided, that represent important problems in medical care in their own right.From Chapter 18: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)

Where R85 sits

  1. 1ChapterChapter 18: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)
  2. 2Block R83-R89Abnormal findings on examination of other body fluids, substances and tissues, without diagnosis
  3. 3Category R85Abnormal findings in specimens from digestive organs and abdominal cavity

Source and release

Data release
ICD-10-CA · FY 2026–2027
Effective date
Apr 1, 2026
Publisher
CIHI

This page is built from the ICD-10-CA catalog that Vero Codes reads when it suggests codes: Canadian Institute for Health Information’s FY 2026–2027 release, imported from the publisher’s file and checked against it. The description, notes and structured data come from the same record.

Frequently asked questions

Is R85 a valid ICD-10-CA code?

No. R85 (Abnormal findings in specimens from digestive organs and abdominal cavity) is a category heading in CIHI’s ICD-10-CA FY 2026–2027 release. It holds 10 codes; record the one the documentation supports.

Where is R85 in ICD-10-CA?

R85 sits under R83-R89 Abnormal findings on examination of other body fluids, substances and tissues, without diagnosis, within Chapter 18: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99).

What coding notes apply to R85?

ICD-10-CA lists Includes, Excludes, Note notes for R85, including those from the headings it sits under. They are listed on this page with where each one comes from.

Which ICD-10-CA release does this page use?

It uses CIHI’s FY 2026–2027 release, in effect from Apr 1, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027. It is a reference: confirm the code against the current list and the payer’s rules before you submit it.