Medical notice. This page is for information only. It is not medical advice and does not replace a doctor. Severe abdominal pain needs urgent care — call 112 or go to hospital. See the medical disclaimer.
K85 is the ICD-10-CM parent for acute pancreatitis. The parent alone is not billable — you need a code that specifies etiology and the necrosis/infection axis. This is a US ICD-10-CM FY 2026 coding reference from icd10data.com, not clinical advice. Hub: Pancreatitis ICD-10.
Watch: Osmosis / Elsevier — acute pancreatitis (medical education). Not medical advice.
Why K85 alone is not enough
K85 includes acute pancreatitis (recurrent) and subacute pancreatitis as a category. Claims and clinical documentation need the fifth and sixth characters:
- Etiology digit — idiopathic (0), biliary (1), alcohol-induced (2), drug-induced (3), other (8), unspecified (9).
- Necrosis/infection digit — without necrosis or infection (0), with uninfected necrosis (1), with infected necrosis (2).
Necrosis on imaging relates clinically to necrotizing pancreatitis; Atlanta severity grades are separate — see 4 stages of acute pancreatitis.
Full K85 code table
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| K85.00 | Idiopathic acute pancreatitis without necrosis or infection |
| K85.01 | Idiopathic acute pancreatitis with uninfected necrosis |
| K85.02 | Idiopathic acute pancreatitis with infected necrosis |
| K85.10 | Biliary acute pancreatitis without necrosis or infection |
| K85.11 | Biliary acute pancreatitis with uninfected necrosis |
| K85.12 | Biliary acute pancreatitis with infected necrosis |
| K85.20 | Alcohol-induced acute pancreatitis without necrosis or infection |
| K85.21 | Alcohol-induced acute pancreatitis with uninfected necrosis |
| K85.22 | Alcohol-induced acute pancreatitis with infected necrosis |
| K85.30 | Drug-induced acute pancreatitis without necrosis or infection |
| K85.31 | Drug-induced acute pancreatitis with uninfected necrosis |
| K85.32 | Drug-induced acute pancreatitis with infected necrosis |
| K85.80 | Other acute pancreatitis without necrosis or infection |
| K85.81 | Other acute pancreatitis with uninfected necrosis |
| K85.82 | Other acute pancreatitis with infected necrosis |
| K85.90 | Acute pancreatitis without necrosis or infection, unspecified |
| K85.91 | Acute pancreatitis with uninfected necrosis, unspecified |
| K85.92 | Acute pancreatitis with infected necrosis, unspecified |
Source: icd10data — K85. Effective with ICD-10-CM FY 2026 (1 October 2025).
Documentation tips (etiology + necrosis axis)
| Document clearly… | Why it matters for K85 |
|---|---|
| Suspected or confirmed cause (biliary/gallstones, alcohol, drug, idiopathic, other) | Selects the etiology branch (K85.0–K85.3, K85.8, K85.9) |
| Presence or absence of necrosis | Selects .x1 (uninfected necrosis) vs .x0 (without necrosis/infection) |
| Whether necrosis is infected | Selects .x2 (infected necrosis) |
| Acute and chronic disease if both are present | Dual coding: acute first when separate index entries exist (§I.B.8) — see Chronic pancreatitis ICD-10 |
Do not invent etiology or infection status from a website. Coders follow the record and the official Tabular List.
Acute-on-chronic
If documentation supports both acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis with separate Alphabetic Index entries, ICD-10-CM FY2026 §I.B.8 directs coding both and sequencing the acute code first. Pair the appropriate K85.xx with K86.0 or K86.1 as documented. Confirm with your facility coder. Hub overview: Pancreatitis ICD-10.
Key takeaways
- Use a specific K85.xx code — not bare K85.
- Two axes: etiology and necrosis/infection.
- Infected vs uninfected necrosis changes the sixth character (.x2 vs .x1).
- Dual-code acute before chronic when both apply (§I.B.8).
- This is US ICD-10-CM; other countries may differ.
FAQ
What is the ICD-10 code for acute pancreatitis?
A specific K85.xx code — for example K85.10 for biliary acute pancreatitis without necrosis or infection. The parent K85 is not billable. (icd10data K85)
What code is used for necrotizing acute pancreatitis?
Codes ending in 1 (uninfected necrosis) or 2 (infected necrosis) under the correct etiology branch — e.g. K85.11, K85.12, K85.91, K85.92. Clinical detail: Necrotizing pancreatitis.
Is biliary the same as gallstone pancreatitis for coding?
Biliary acute pancreatitis is the K85.1x branch in ICD-10-CM. Always follow the documented etiology and the Tabular List.
Where is the full pancreatitis code list?
Pancreatitis ICD-10 Codes: Complete Reference.
See also: Pancreatitis ICD-10 · Chronic pancreatitis ICD-10 · 4 stages of acute pancreatitis · Necrotizing pancreatitis · Acute pancreatitis
Last editorial check: 4 September 2026. Not medically reviewed by a clinician. Coding reference only.