All ICD10 Codes
R55Billable, valid for claims from October 1, 2026

Syncope and collapse

In General symptoms and signs (R50-R69), chapter 18: Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings

  • R55 is billable and valid on claims for FY 2027. If the record has more detail, check the other codes under R50-R69 below.
  • As a secondary diagnosis it is not a CC or MCC, so it doesn't raise the MS-DRG payment.
  • Doesn't count toward a Medicare Advantage risk score (no HCC in V28).
  • AHRQ's Chronic Condition Indicator classes it as not chronic (an acute or short-term condition).
  • 75 US deaths in 2024 had an underlying cause in category R55, per the National Vital Statistics System on CDC WONDER. Death records use WHO ICD-10, so the count is for the whole category.

Also indexed as: Arrhythmia, vagal; Attack, drop NEC; Attack, syncope; Attack, unconsciousness; Attack, vasomotor; Attack, vasovagal; Blackout; Collapse; Collapse, general; Drop, attack NEC; Fainting; Fit, fainting; Gower's, syndrome; Instability, vasomotor; Loss, consciousness, transient; Near-syncope; Phenomenon, vasomotor; Phenomenon, vasovagal; Pre-syncope; Reflex, vasovagal; Syncope; Syncope, cardiac; Syncope, heart; Syncope, vasoconstriction; Syncope, vasodepressor; Syncope, vasomotor; Syncope, vasovagal; Syndrome, Gower's; Syndrome, vasovagal; Vasovagal attack

Advertisements

Instructional notes

Includes: conditions that are coded here

  • Blackout
  • Fainting
  • Vasovagal attack

Excludes1: not coded here, use a different code

  • cardiogenic shock (R57.0)
  • carotid sinus syncope (G90.01)
  • heat syncope (T67.1)
  • neurocirculatory asthenia (F45.8)
  • neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (G90.3)
  • orthostatic hypotension (I95.1)
  • postprocedural shock (T81.1-)
  • psychogenic syncope (F48.8)
  • shock NOS (R57.9)
  • shock complicating or following abortion or ectopic or molar pregnancy (O00-O07, O08.3)
  • shock complicating or following labor and delivery (O75.1)
  • Stokes-Adams attack (I45.9)
  • unconsciousness NOS (R40.2-)

Official coding guidelines

From the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY 2027 (CMS and NCHS). Links open the PDF at the right page.

Covers when to report symptom, sign, and abnormal finding codes (R00-R99), plus specific rules for falls, coma scales, non-infectious SIRS, death NOS, and NIHSS scores.

Read Section I.C.18 (page 75), 1 more topics

Other codes under R50-R69

General symptoms and signs (R50-R69)

R55 MS-DRG

As the principal diagnosis, R55 groups to MS-DRG 312 (v44.0).

Related conditions

Grouped by AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software Refined (CCSR), which sorts every diagnosis code into clinically meaningful categories.

R55 is in Syncope (SYM001, its default category), with 2 codes. Others in it:

Medicare coverage articles listing R55

These 29 Medicare billing and coding articles list R55 as a diagnosis that supports medical necessity for the services they cover. From the CMS Medicare Coverage Database; check your own contractor's article before billing.

And 19 more.

Other codes that refer to R55

Notes on these codes point to R55.

  • I49.82 Use Additional Code: syncope (R55)
  • R05.4 Code First: syncope and collapse (R55)
  • R29.2 Excludes2: vasovagal reaction or syncope (R55)

About the condition

Plain-language background from MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine), not coding guidance.

Fainting

Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness. If you're about to faint, you'll feel dizzy, lightheaded, or nauseous. Your field of vision may "white out" or "black out." Your skin may be cold and clammy. You lose muscle control at the same time, and may fall down.

Read more about fainting on MedlinePlus

Code history

Valid since FY2016, when ICD-10-CM took effect on October 1, 2015. No changes since.

ICD-9-CM equivalent

Legacy crosswalk from the CMS General Equivalence Mappings (last updated 2018).

  • 780.2 Syncope and collapse
ICD-9 to ICD-10 converter