Unspecified chronic gastritis with bleeding

This code signifies a long-standing, non-specific inflammation of the stomach lining accompanied by evidence of gastrointestinal bleeding. The exact cause or specific type of chronic gastritis is not documented. The bleeding may manifest as hematemesis, melena, or positive fecal occult blood.

Use this code when documentation clearly indicates chronic gastritis with active or historical bleeding, but the specific type of gastritis (e.g., atrophic, alcoholic, superficial) is not specified. This code is appropriate when the physician notes "chronic gastritis with GI bleed" without further diagnostic refinement.

• Ensure documentation explicitly states "chronic" and "unspecified" or lacks further specificity regarding the gastritis type.
• Do not use this code if a more specific type of chronic gastritis (e.g., K29.40, K29.60) is documented.
• Code any associated anemia due to chronic blood loss separately, if documented.