ICD10
ICD-10 Code I60.1: Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from middle cerebral artery
Reviewed by HealthAssure Clinical TeamUpdated 26 May 2026
What is this code?
ICD-10 entries help standardize how diagnoses are organized for coding, reporting, analytics, and documentation. This code sits within the broader ICD-10 area for Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99).
đź“‹Clinical overview
This ICD-10 code is commonly used when documentation describes nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. The most accurate code depends on which intracranial artery is identified as the source and whether laterality is documented for certain branches.
When is it used?
- May be used when a clinician documents nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from middle cerebral artery in a patient's medical record.
- May appear in hospital records, claims, referrals, and clinical documentation.
- This code may act more like a grouping or parent code, so a more specific child code may be used in final documentation when available.
What it does not mean
- A code alone does not explain severity, treatment plan, or outcome.
- A medical code should not be treated as a substitute for a doctor's diagnosis or advice.
- This entry may represent a broader category rather than the most specific billable code.
đź©şClinical context
When commonly used
- Neurology, emergency, inpatient, and critical-care workflows where subarachnoid hemorrhage is part of the active acute diagnosis set.
- Coding and utilization-review workflows where the chart supports nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage and the final code changes based on the artery source or laterality.
Common management context
- Evaluation often includes acute neurologic assessment, neuroimaging review, hemodynamic monitoring context, and coordination across neurology, neurosurgery, and critical-care teams.
- Documentation usually becomes more specific when the chart identifies the source artery, right-versus-left branch involvement when applicable, or another more specific hemorrhage subtype.
- Specialist context already linked on this page includes Cardiologist, General Physician, Orthopedic Specialist, Neurologist.
🔍Key distinctions
Important notes
- These ICD-10 codes are reserved for nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage rather than intracerebral hemorrhage, other intracranial hemorrhage, or ischemic stroke.
- Source artery and laterality detail drive most of the code specificity inside this family.
- Middle-cerebral-artery subarachnoid hemorrhage is coded separately from carotid siphon, posterior communicating, vertebral, basilar, other intracranial, or unspecified intracranial artery sources.
- Documentation that describes nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage is coded differently from intracerebral hemorrhage, other intracranial hemorrhage, or cerebral infarction.
Related codes to consider
I60.10Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from unspecified middle cerebral artery
Related hemorrhagic-stroke ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the source artery, laterality, or another intracranial-hemorrhage subtype.
I60.11Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from right middle cerebral artery
Related hemorrhagic-stroke ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the source artery, laterality, or another intracranial-hemorrhage subtype.
I60.12Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from left middle cerebral artery
Related hemorrhagic-stroke ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the source artery, laterality, or another intracranial-hemorrhage subtype.
Code hierarchy
chapter
9Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99)
block
I60-I69Cerebrovascular diseases
category
I60Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage
currentI60
Where you may see this code
You may see this entry in coding references, medical records, or claims workflows when a broader diagnosis category is being reviewed before a more specific code is chosen.
Related specialists
CardiologistGeneral PhysicianOrthopedic SpecialistNeurologistStroke Specialist
Related codes
Sibling codes
I60.0Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from carotid siphon and bifurcationI60.2Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from anterior communicating arterybillableI60.3Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from posterior communicating arteryI60.4Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from basilar arterybillableI60.5Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from vertebral arteryI60.6Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from other intracranial arteriesbillableI60.7Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from unspecified intracranial arterybillableI60.8Other nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhagebillableI60.9Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, unspecifiedbillable
Mapped diagnoses and classifications
Coding guidelines
Compatibility
Legacy code aligns to an official FY 2026 category. Frontend should resolve to the official category page and surface the billable child codes.
Legacy codes
I60.1
Replacement codes
I60.10 — Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from unspecified middle cerebral arteryI60.11 — Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from right middle cerebral arteryI60.12 — Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from left middle cerebral artery
Common synonyms
Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage from middle cerebral artery
Frequently asked questions
About this content
This page is prepared by HealthAssure's clinical team using official coding standards from ICD-10. AI tools assist with drafting explanations, which are then reviewed and verified by healthcare professionals for accuracy. This content is for informational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice. Meet our team.