Rating Table for Digestive Issues – Veterans Disability
Below, I’ve used a digestive disability ratings table to illustrate how selected issues and symptoms rate on the veterans disability rating system.
Digestive Disability Rating Table
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Permitting passage of liquids only, with marked impairment of general health |
80 |
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Severe, permitting liquids only |
50 |
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Moderate |
30 |
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esophageal spasm | ||
If not amenable to dilation, rate as for the degree of obstruction (stricture). |
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esophageal diverticulum | ||
Rate as for obstruction (stricture). |
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peritoneal adhesions | ||
Severe; definite partial obstruction shown by X-ray, with frequent and prolonged episodes of severe colic distension, nausea or vomiting, following severe peritonitis, ruptured appendix, perforated ulcer, or operation with drainage |
50 |
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Moderately severe; partial obstruction manifested by delayed motility of barium meal and less frequent and less prolonged episodes of pain |
30 |
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Moderate; pulling pain on attempting work or aggravated by movements of the body, or occasional episodes of colic pain, nausea, constipation (perhaps alternating with diarrhea) or abdominal distension |
10 |
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Mild |
0 |
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Note: Ratings for adhesions will be considered when there is history of operative or other traumatic or infectious (intraabdominal) process, and at least two of the following: disturbance of motility, actual partial obstruction, reflex disturbances, presence of pain. |
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Gastric and Duodenal ulcers | ||
Severe; pain only partially relieved by standard ulcer therapy, periodic vomiting, recurrent hematemesis or melena, with manifestations of anemia and weight loss productive of definite impairment of health |
60 |
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Moderately severe; less than severe but with impairment of health manifested by anemia and weight loss; or recurrent incapacitating episodes averaging 10 days or more in duration at least four or more times a year |
40 |
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Moderate; recurring episodes of severe symptoms two or three times a year averaging 10 days in duration; or with continuous moderate manifestations |
20 |
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Mild; with recurring symptoms once or twice yearly |
10 |
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marginal ulcer | ||
Pronounced; periodic or continuous pain unrelieved by standard ulcer therapy with periodic vomiting, recurring melena or hematemesis, and weight loss. Totally incapacitating |
100 |
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Severe; same as pronounced with less pronounced and less continuous symptoms with definite impairment of health |
60 |
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Moderately severe; intercurrent episodes of abdominal pain at least once a month partially or completely relieved by ulcer therapy, mild and transient episodes of vomiting or melena |
40 |
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Moderate; with episodes of recurring symptoms several times a year |
20 |
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Mild; with brief episodes of recurring symptoms once or twice yearly |
10 |
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gastritis | ||
Chronic; with severe hemorrhages, or large ulcerated or eroded areas |
60 |
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Chronic; with multiple small eroded or ulcerated areas, and symptoms |
30 |
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Chronic; with small nodular lesions, and symptoms |
10 |
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Gastritis, atrophic. |
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A complication of a number of diseases, including pernicious anemia. |
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Rate the underlying condition. |
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Postgastrectomy Sndrome | ||
Severe; associated with nausea, sweating, circulatory disturbance after meals, diarrhea, hypoglycemic symptoms, and weight loss with malnutrition and anemia |
60 |
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Moderate; less frequent episodes of epigastric disorders with characteristic mild circulatory symptoms after meals but with diarrhea and weight loss |
40 |
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Mild; infrequent episodes of epigastric distress with characteristic mild circulatory symptoms or continuous mild manifestations |
20 |
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Rate as for gastric ulcer. |
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Rate as peritoneal adhesions. |
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Depending on the specific residuals, separately evaluate as adhesions of peritoneum (diagnostic code 7301), cirrhosis of liver (diagnostic code 7312), and chronic liver disease without cirrhosis (diagnostic code 7345). |
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cirrhosis of the liver | ||
Generalized weakness, substantial weight loss, and persistent jaundice, or; with one of the following refractory to treatment: ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, hemorrhage from varices or portal gastropathy (erosive gastritis) |
100 |
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History of two or more episodes of ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, or hemorrhage from varices or portal gastropathy (erosive gastritis), but with periods of remission between attacks |
70 |
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History of one episode of ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, or hemorrhage from varices or portal gastropathy (erosive gastritis) |
50 |
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Portal hypertension and splenomegaly, with weakness, anorexia, abdominal pain, malaise, and at least minor weight loss |
30 |
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Symptoms such as weakness, anorexia, abdominal pain, and malaise |
10 |
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Note: For evaluation under diagnostic code 7312, documentation of cirrhosis (by biopsy or imaging) and abnormal liver function tests must be present. |
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Cholecystitis | ||
Severe; frequent attacks of gall bladder colic |
30 |
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Moderate; gall bladder dyspepsia, confirmed by X-ray technique, and with infrequent attacks (not over two or three a year) of gall bladder colic, with or without jaundice |
10 |
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Mild |
0 |
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Rate as for chronic cholecystitis. |
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Rate as for chronic cholecystitis. |
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Rate as for peritoneal adhesions. |
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Gall Bladder removal | ||
With severe symptoms |
30 |
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With mild symptoms |
10 |
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Nonsymptomatic |
0 |
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Spleen, disease or injury of. |
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See Hemic and Lymphatic Systems. |
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS | ||
Severe; diarrhea, or alternating diarrhea and constipation, with more or less constant abdominal distress |
30 |
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Moderate; frequent episodes of bowel disturbance with abdominal distress |
10 |
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Mild; disturbances of bowel function with occasional episodes of abdominal distress |
0 |
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Ulcerative Colitis | ||
Pronounced; resulting in marked malnutrition, anemia, and general debility, or with serious complication as liver abscess |
100 |
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Severe; with numerous attacks a year and malnutrition, the health only fair during remissions |
60 |
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Moderately severe; with frequent exacerbations |
30 |
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Moderate; with infrequent exacerbations |
10 |
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Diverticulitis | ||
Rate as for irritable colon syndrome, peritoneal adhesions, or colitis, ulcerative, depending upon the predominant disability picture. |
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Small Bowel resection | ||
With marked interference with absorption and nutrition, manifested by severe impairment of health objectively supported by examination findings including material weight loss |
60 |
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With definite interference with absorption and nutrition, manifested by impairment of health objectively supported by examination findings including definite weight loss |
40 |
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Symptomatic with diarrhea, anemia and inability to gain weight |
20 |
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Note: Where residual adhesions constitute the predominant disability, rate under diagnostic code 7301. |
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large bowel resection | ||
With severe symptoms, objectively supported by examination findings |
40 |
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With moderate symptoms |
20 |
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With slight symptoms |
10 |
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Note: Where residual adhesions constitute the predominant disability, rate under diagnostic code 7301. |
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Fistula | ||
Copious and frequent, fecal discharge |
100 |
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Constant or frequent, fecal discharge |
60 |
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Slight infrequent, fecal discharge |
30 |
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Healed; rate for peritoneal adhesions. |
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peritonitis | ||
Active |
100 |
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Inactive: See §§4.88b and 4.89. |
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Rectum sphincter | ||
Complete loss of sphincter control |
100 |
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Extensive leakage and fairly frequent involuntary bowel movements |
60 |
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Occasional involuntary bowel movements, necessitating wearing of pad |
30 |
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Constant slight, or occasional moderate leakage |
10 |
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Healed or slight, without leakage |
0 |
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anal stricture | ||
Requiring colostomy |
100 |
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Great reduction of lumen, or extensive leakage |
50 |
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Moderate reduction of lumen, or moderate constant leakage |
30 |
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Rectum prolapse | ||
Severe (or complete), persistent |
50 |
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Moderate, persistent or frequently recurring |
30 |
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Mild with constant slight or occasional moderate leakage |
10 |
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anal fistula | ||
Rate as for impairment of sphincter control. |
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Hemorrhoids | ||
With persistent bleeding and with secondary anemia, or with fissures |
20 |
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Large or thrombotic, irreducible, with excessive redundant tissue, evidencing frequent recurrences |
10 |
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Mild or moderate |
0 |
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Rate for the underlying condition. |
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Hernia Inguinal | ||
Large, postoperative, recurrent, not well supported under ordinary conditions and not readily reducible, when considered inoperable |
60 |
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Small, postoperative recurrent, or unoperated irremediable, not well supported by truss, or not readily reducible |
30 |
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Postoperative recurrent, readily reducible and well supported by truss or belt |
10 |
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Not operated, but remediable |
0 |
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Small, reducible, or without true hernia protrusion |
0 |
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Note: Add 10 percent for bilateral involvement, provided the second hernia is compensable. This means that the more severely disabling hernia is to be evaluated, and 10 percent, only, added for the second hernia, if the latter is of compensable degree. |
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Hernia Ventral | ||
Massive, persistent, severe diastasis of recti muscles or extensive diffuse destruction or weakening of muscular and fascial support of abdominal wall so as to be inoperable |
100 |
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Large, not well supported by belt under ordinary conditions |
40 |
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Small, not well supported by belt under ordinary conditions, or healed ventral hernia or post-operative wounds with weakening of abdominal wall and indication for a supporting belt |
20 |
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Wounds, postoperative, healed, no disability, belt not indicated |
0 |
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Hernia Femoral | ||
Rate as for inguinal hernia. |
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hepatitis | ||
Near-constant debilitating symptoms (such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) |
100 |
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Daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia, with substantial weight loss (or other indication of malnutrition), and hepatomegaly, or; incapacitating episodes (with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) having a total duration of at least six weeks during the past 12-month period, but not occurring constantly |
60 |
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Daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia, with minor weight loss and hepatomegaly, or; incapacitating episodes (with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) having a total duration of at least four weeks, but less than six weeks, during the past 12-month period |
40 |
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Daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia (without weight loss or hepatomegaly), requiring dietary restriction or continuous medication, or; incapacitating episodes (with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) having a total duration of at least two weeks, but less than four weeks, during the past 12-month period |
20 |
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Intermittent fatigue, malaise, and anorexia, or; incapacitating episodes (with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) having a total duration of at least one week, but less than two weeks, during the past 12-month period |
10 |
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Hiatal Hernia | ||
Symptoms of pain, vomiting, material weight loss and hematemesis or melena with moderate anemia; or other symptom combinations productive of severe impairment of health |
60 |
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Persistently recurrent epigastric distress with dysphagia, pyrosis, and regurgitation, accompanied by substernal or arm or shoulder pain, productive of considerable impairment of health |
30 |
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With two or more of the symptoms for the 30 percent evaluation of less severity |
10 |
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pancreatitis | ||
With frequently recurrent disabling attacks of abdominal pain with few pain free intermissions and with steatorrhea, malabsorption, diarrhea and severe malnutrition |
100 |
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With frequent attacks of abdominal pain, loss of normal body weight and other findings showing continuing pancreatic insufficiency between acute attacks |
60 |
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Moderately severe; with at least 4–7 typical attacks of abdominal pain per year with good remission between attacks |
30 |
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With at least one recurring attack of typical severe abdominal pain in the past year |
10 |
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Note 1: Abdominal pain in this condition must be confirmed as resulting from pancreatitis by appropriate laboratory and clinical studies. |
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Note 2: Following total or partial pancreatectomy, rate under above, symptoms, minimum rating 30 percent. |
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gastric surgery | ||
Followed by demonstrably confirmative postoperative complications of stricture or continuing gastric retention |
40 |
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With symptoms and confirmed diagnosis of alkaline gastritis, or of confirmed persisting diarrhea |
30 |
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Recurrent ulcer with incomplete vagotomy |
20 |
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Note: Rate recurrent ulcer following complete vagotomy under diagnostic code 7305, minimum rating 20 percent; and rate dumping syndrome under diagnostic code 7308. |
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Hepatitis C | ||
With serologic evidence of hepatitis C infection and the following signs and symptoms due to hepatitis C infection: |
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Near-constant debilitating symptoms (such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) |
100 |
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Daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia, with substantial weight loss (or other indication of malnutrition), and hepatomegaly, or; incapacitating episodes (with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) having a total duration of at least six weeks during the past 12-month period, but not occurring constantly |
60 |
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Daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia, with minor weight loss and hepatomegaly, or; incapacitating episodes (with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) having a total duration of at least four weeks, but less than six weeks, during the past 12-month period |
40 |
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Daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia (without weight loss or hepatomegaly), requiring dietary restriction or continuous medication, or; incapacitating episodes (with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) having a total duration of at least two weeks, but less than four weeks, during the past 12-month period |
20 |
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Intermittent fatigue, malaise, and anorexia, or; incapacitating episodes (with symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, arthralgia, and right upper quadrant pain) having a total duration of at least one week, but less than two weeks, during the past 12-month period |
10 |
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Nonsymptomatic |
0 |
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Note (1): Evaluate sequelae, such as cirrhosis or malignancy of the liver, under an appropriate diagnostic code, but do not use the same signs and symptoms as the basis for evaluation under DC 7354 and under a diagnostic code for sequelae. (See §4.14.). |
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Note (2): For purposes of evaluating conditions under diagnostic code 7354, “incapacitating episode” means a period of acute signs and symptoms severe enough to require bed rest and treatment by a physician. |
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