Severe sepsis without septic shock. R65.20 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes. The 2019 edition of ICD-10-CM R65.20 became effective on October 1, 2018. This is the American ICD-10-CM version of R65.20 - other international versions of ICD-10 R65.20 may differ.
Sepsis due to other specified staphylococcus. A41.1 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.
ICD-10-CM, as it does in ICD-9-CM. Septic shock is combined into code R65.21. Example: A patient is admitted with cellulitis and abscess of the left leg, severe sepsis, septic shock, and acute renal failure and encephalopathy due to the sepsis. A41.9
Diagnosis Index entries containing back-references to A41.9: Disorder (of) - see also Disease tubulo-interstitial (in) sepsis A41.9 Glomerulonephritis N05.9 - see also Nephritis ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code N05.9 Pyelonephritis - see also Nephritis, tubulo-interstitial in (due to) sepsis A41.9
2 for Subsequent non-ST elevation (NSTEMI) myocardial infarction is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Diseases of the circulatory system .
ICD-10 code A41. 89 for Other specified sepsis is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Certain infectious and parasitic diseases .
Severe sepsis with septic shock R65. 21 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes. The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM R65. 21 became effective on October 1, 2021.
A41. 51 (Sepsis due to Escherichia coli), and N39. 0 (Urinary tract infection, site not specified) would be reported as additional diagnoses.
Severe sepsis requires at least 2 ICD-10-CM codes; a code for the underlying systemic infection and a code from category R65. 2 Severe Sepsis; you should also assign a code(s) for the acute organ dysfunction if documented; Codes R65. 20 and R65.
1. d.a states that R65. 2- can be coded when severe sepsis or an associated organ dysfunction is documented. If “severe sepsis” is documented without mention of organ dysfunction, R65.
ICD-10 code R65. 21 for Severe sepsis with septic shock is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified .
According to the guidelines above, sepsis would be the appropriate principal diagnosis if it is the reason the patient is admitted, and meets the definition of principal diagnosis.
Other instances when sepsis would not be selected as the principal diagnosis, even if it was POA include the scenario where sepsis is the result of a condition which is classified as a “medical complication” (such as being due to an indwelling urinary catheter or central line.
0-, Infection following immunization, should be coded first, followed by the code for the specific infection. If the patient has severe sepsis, the appropriate code from subcategory R65. 2 should also be assigned, with the additional codes(s) for any acute organ dysfunction.
81, Bacteremia, is a symptom code with an Exclude1 note stating it can't be used with sepsis and that additional documentation related to the cause of the infection, i.e., gram-negative bacteria, salmonella, etc., would be needed for correct code assignment.
The ED coder would assign the following ICD-10 diagnosis codes:R65.21Severe sepsis with shockN39.0UTI, site not specifiedR30.0DysuriaR50.81Fever presenting with conditions classified elsewhereN17.9Acute kidney failure, unspecified2 more rows
Systemic disease associated with the presence of pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins in the blood. The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in the blood stream causing a rapidly progressing systemic reaction that may lead to shock. Symptoms include fever, chills, tachycardia, and increased respiratory rate.
The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM A41.9 became effective on October 1, 2021.
Sepsis associated with organ dysfunction distant from the site of infection.
The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM R65.20 became effective on October 1, 2021.
For instance, if severe sepsis, pneumonia, and acute renal failure due to dehydration are documented, the code for severe sepsis may not be assigned because the acute renal failure is not stated as due to or associated with sepsis. If the documentation is unclear, query the physician.
Post-procedural Sepsis and Sepsis Due to a Device, Implant, or Graft. A systemic infection can occur as a complication of a procedure or due to a device, implant, or graft. This includes systemic infections due to wound infection, infusions, transfusions, therapeutic injections, implanted devices, and transplants.
If the patient has severe sepsis, add R65.2- with the codes for specific organ dysfunctions.
You must query the physician when the term “sepsis syndrome” is documented as a final diagnosis. Know when to Query. Sepsis is a complicated condition to code, and it is often necessary to query the physician to code the case correctly.
Documentation issues: Often, a patient with a localized infection may exhibi t tachycardia, leukocytosis, tachypnea, and fever, but not truly have SIRS or sepsis. These are typical symptoms of any infection. It’s up to the physician’s clinical judgment to decide whether the patient has sepsis or SIRS.
Documentation issues: You can code for sepsis when the physician documents the term “sepsis.”. Documentation should be consistent throughout the chart. Occasionally, during an extended length of stay, sepsis may resolve quickly and the discharging doctor may not include the diagnosis of sepsis on the discharge summary.
term “sepsis” must also be documented to code a systemic infection. This is a major change from ICD-9-CM. If the term “sepsis” is not documented with “SIRS” when it’s due to a localized infection, you must ask for clarification from the physician.
You should report I21.11, a STEMI code, in this situation, according to the guidelines.
If your cardiologist documents a type 1 non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or a nontransmural myocardial infarction, you should report I21.4 (Non-ST elevation (NSTEMI) myocardial infarction).
“It’s still a type 2 AMI and should be coded as I21.A1.”
When reviewing sepsis claims, all too often the primary focus is on searching provider documentation for signs and symptoms and/or clinical indicators that support the diagnosis of sepsis, or that support a query regarding the presence of sepsis.
Many times the more subtle details in the sepsis guidelines are overlooked, and sometimes they are not noticed at all. I would like to challenge readers to periodically review and re-review the guidelines in an effort to gain complete understanding of all aspects of sepsis coding, and consider the following sepsis coding scenarios.
However, it is important to note here that the absence of positive blood cultures in a patient with severe sepsis does not equal noninfectious sepsis.
Is sepsis always sequenced as the principal diagnosis when it is present on admission? Some may say yes , because after all, that’s what is stated in the official coding guidelines. However, my answer to this question is no, not always. I believe that there are very few absolutes in coding, and the sepsis guidelines are a good example of this. ICD-10-CM Official Coding Guidelines for Coding and Reporting direct us that “if severe sepsis is present on admission and meets the definition of principal diagnosis, the underlying systemic infection should be assigned as principal diagnosis followed by the appropriate code from subcategory R65.2 as required by the sequencing rules in the Tabular List.” We are further directed that, “if the reason for admission is both sepsis or severe sepsis and a localized infection, such as pneumonia or cellulitis, a code (s) for the underlying systemic infection should be assigned as principal diagnosis followed by the appropriate code from subcategory R65.2 as required by the sequencing rules in the Tabular List.”
We are directed by ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting that even though negative or inconclusive blood cultures do not negate a diagnosis of sepsis in patients with clinical evidence of the condition; providers should be queried under these circumstances. So in this scenario, which is an actual real-life scenario, the provider would need to be queried as to the cause of patient’s septic shock and whether it was a noninfectious source (possibly patient’s GI bleed) or a suspected infection before an appropriate principal diagnosis could be chosen.
generally speaking, sepsis 'trumps' other diagnosis because when a patient has sepsis POA, this is typically the reason for admission. If is fairly rare that the reason for admission and focus of care are another unrelated dx.
Brief response: I agree w/ coder. The sepsis sequencing applies 'if' an infection caused the admit, then the sepsis must be PDX rather than the localized infection.