Dysuria

This code represents the symptom of painful or difficult urination. It indicates discomfort, burning, or stinging sensations experienced during micturition, often associated with inflammation or infection of the urinary tract.

Assign this code when documentation explicitly states "dysuria" as a presenting symptom. It is commonly used in cases of urinary tract infections (UTIs), urethritis, cystitis, or other inflammatory conditions affecting the lower urinary tract. Support for this code includes physician notes detailing patient complaints of painful urination.

• Dysuria is a symptom, not a definitive diagnosis. Always code the underlying cause if known and documented.
• Do not use this code if the documentation specifies a more definitive diagnosis that fully explains the dysuria (e.g., acute cystitis).
• Consider sequencing this code after the primary diagnosis if the dysuria is a significant co-morbidity or reason for the encounter.