Primary Care Coding Alert

Question: Is there an ICD- 9 code for belching?

Arkansas Subscriber

Answer: Yes, belching is also known as eructation. This involves the release of gas from the stomach and/or esophagus through the mouth, usually accompanied by sound and occasionally unpleasant odor. This is typically caused by swallowing air during eating and drinking. Its ICD-9 code is 787.3 (Flatulence, eructation, and gas pain).

-- Information for and answers to You Be the Coder and Reader Questions reviewed by Kent Moore, manager of health care financing and delivery systems for the American Academy of Family Physicians in Leawood, Kan.