F43.0 – Acute stress reaction

F43.0 Diagnosis Code: Acute stress reaction

• F43.0 is a billable ICD-10-CM code used for reimbursement for the diagnosis of acute stress reaction. 
• This ICD-10-CM code is used to diagnose acute stress reaction in America. Internationally, this code may differ.  
• The code is valid until the end of the fiscal year of 2023. 
• This code’s umbrella category is “Mental, Behavioral, and Neurodevelopmental disorders” under “Anxiety, dissociative, stress-related, somatoform, and other nonpsychotic mental disorders.”
• Practitioners can use this code if the patient’s stress is seen immediately after a traumatic experience, but symptoms don’t last for more than a month.

Is F43.0 Billable?

Yes, F43.0 is billable for insurance reimbursement purposes. 

Clinical Information

• Acute stress reaction or acute stress disorder is a prevalent psychiatric condition in which an individual, after undergoing a traumatic event, exhibits symptoms similar to those of PTSD. However, these symptoms typically occur for a minimum of three days and a maximum of one month. If the symptoms persist beyond this timeframe, it may suggest the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.
• Experiencing traumatic events that evoke a stress response or elicit intense emotions such as anxiety, fear, or helplessness can lead to the occurrence of an acute stress reaction. Individuals with a background of dissociative symptoms, acute stress disorder (ASD)/post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or specific mental illnesses are at a heightened risk of developing acute stress disorder.
• Some symptoms of acute stress reaction or acute stress disorder are recurring nightmares, flashbacks of the event, avoidance of anything that will trigger their memories, self-destructive behaviors, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, and physical symptoms like headaches, chest pain, nausea, palpitations, and difficulty breathing. 
• Diagnosis involves talking to a psychologist or psychiatrist and elaborating upon one’s symptoms and experience. 
• Generally, symptoms may go away on their own after a month. However, if the patient needs medical assistance, some usual treatments are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), other types of therapy, or in extreme cases, hospitalization.

Synonyms Include

• Acute stress disorder
• Combat fatigue
• Exhaustion delirium
• Stress reaction, fugure
• Psychogenic fugue

Other ICD-10 Codes Commonly Used for Stress

• F43.1: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• F43.8: Other reactions to severe stress
• F43.9: Reaction to severe stress, unspecified