I74.4: Embolism and thrombosis of arteries of extremities, unspecified

You have blood clots in the arteries in your arms or legs.

Arteries are blood vessels that transport blood away from the heart. They supply all the tissue in the body with oxygen-rich blood. A blood clot can cause arteries to narrow or to become completely blocked.

This usually happens due to a blood clot that forms elsewhere in the body. The blood clot may form in the heart, for example. The blood clot is then swept away with the blood and gets stuck in an artery in the arm or leg.

However, blood clots can also form in the affected artery itself. In these cases, the artery is often already damaged. For example, if deposits have formed in the artery, it is easier for blood clots to form there.

If an artery gets blocked, it can cause various problems. You may have pain or the affected area may be cold. If not enough blood reaches the tissue, the tissue can get damaged.

Additional indicator

On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.

  • G: Confirmed diagnosis
  • V: Tentative diagnosis
  • Z: Condition after
  • A: Excluded diagnosis
  • L: Left
  • R: Right
  • B: Both sides

Further information

Note

This information is not intended for self-diagnosis and does not replace professional medical advice from a doctor. If you find an ICD code on a personal medical document, please also note the additional indicator used for diagnostic confidence.
Your doctor will assist you with any health-related questions and explain the ICD diagnosis code to you in a direct consultation if necessary.

Source

Provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).