· This should be followed by code R65.20, Severe sepsis without septic shock and a code for the systemic infection. Sepsis and severe sepsis associated with a noninfectious process (condition)
2022 ICD-10-CM Code R65.20 Severe sepsis without septic shock. ICD-10-CM Index; Chapter: R00–R99; Section: R50-R69; Block: R65; R65.20 - Severe sepsis without septic shock
· ICD-10-CM Code R65.20 Severe sepsis without septic shock Billable Code R65.20 is a valid billable ICD-10 diagnosis code for Severe sepsis without septic shock . It is found in …
· ICD-10-CM R65.21 is grouped within Diagnostic Related Group(s) (MS-DRG v 39.0): 870 Septicemia or severe sepsis with mv >96 hours; 871 Septicemia or severe sepsis without …
Two codes, at a minimum, are needed to report severe sepsis without septic shock. Chapter-specific guidelines state, “First code for the underlying systemic infection, followed by a code R65. 20, Severe sepsis. If the causal organism is not documented, assign code A41.
Septicemia – There is NO code for septicemia in ICD-10. Instead, you're directed to a combination 'A' code for sepsis to indicate the underlying infection, such A41. 9 (Sepsis, unspecified organism) for septicemia with no further detail.
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.
ICD-10 | Severe sepsis with septic shock (R65. 21)
Coding sepsis requires a minimum of two codes: a code for the systemic infection (e.g., 038. xx) and the code 995.91, SIRS due to infectious process without organ dysfunction. If no causal organism is documented within the medical record, query the physician or assign code 038.9, Unspecified septicemia.
ICD-10 code A41. 9 for Sepsis, unspecified organism is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Certain infectious and parasitic diseases .
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.
What Documentation is Needed to Report Severe Sepsis? For coders, if the physician has documented severe sepsis, linked an acute organ dysfunction/failure to sepsis or the ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases directs the coder to the code for severe sepsis, it may be coded.
The code for septic shock cannot be assigned as a principal diagnosis. For septic shock, the code for the underlying infection should be sequenced first, followed by code R65. 21, Severe sepsis with septic shock or code T81.
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
Altered mental status, unspecified (R41. 82) is a billable ICD-10 diagnostic code under HIPAA regulations from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021. This code is acceptable to insurers when used to describe a marked change in mental health status not attributable to other factors.
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.
R65.20 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of severe sepsis without septic shock. The code R65.20 is valid during the fiscal year 2021 from October 01, 2020 through September 30, 2021 for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions.#N#The ICD-10-CM code R65.20 might also be used to specify conditions or terms like sepsis syndrome, sepsis-associated organ dysfunction, severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to anaerobic bacteria, severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to coagulase negative staphylococcus, severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to gram-negative bacteria , severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to group a streptococcus, etc.#N#The code R65.20 describes a circumstance which influences the patient's health status but not a current illness or injury. The code is unacceptable as a principal diagnosis.
The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code: 1 Sepsis syndrome 2 Sepsis-associated organ dysfunction 3 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to anaerobic bacteria 4 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to coagulase negative Staphylococcus 5 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to Gram-negative bacteria 6 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to Group A streptococcus 7 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to Group B streptococcus 8 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to Haemophilus influenzae 9 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to Meningococcus 10 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus 11 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus 12 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to Pneumococcus 13 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to Pseudomonas 14 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to Salmonella 15 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to Serratia 16 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to Staphylococcus 17 Severe sepsis with acute organ dysfunction due to Streptococcus
People with sepsis are usually treated in hospital intensive care units. Doctors try to treat the infection, sustain the vital organs, and prevent a drop in blood pressure. Many patients receive oxygen and intravenous (IV) fluids. Other types of treatment, such as respirators or kidney dialysis, may be necessary.
Doctors diagnose sepsis using a blood test to see if the number of white blood cells is abnormal.
The Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries is a list of ICD-10 codes, organized "head to toe" into chapters and sections with coding notes and guidance for inclusions, exclusions, descriptions and more. The following references are applicable to the code R65.20:
FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016 (First year ICD-10-CM implemented into the HIPAA code set)
The Medicare Code Editor (MCE) detects and reports errors in the coding of claims data. The following ICD-10 Code Edits are applicable to this code:
R65.20 is a valid billable ICD-10 diagnosis code for Severe sepsis without septic shock . It is found in the 2021 version of the ICD-10 Clinical Modification (CM) and can be used in all HIPAA-covered transactions from Oct 01, 2020 - Sep 30, 2021 .
DO NOT include the decimal point when electronically filing claims as it may be rejected. Some clearinghouses may remove it for you but to avoid having a rejected claim due to an invalid ICD-10 code, do not include the decimal point when submitting claims electronically. See also:
Septic shock with acute organ dysfunction. Septic shock with acute organ dysfunction due to anaerobic septicemia. Septic shock with acute organ dysfunction due to chromobacterium. Septic shock with acute organ dysfunction due to coagulate-negative staphylococcu.
Septic shock with acute organ dysfunction due to group a streptococcus. Septic shock with acute organ dysfunction due to group b streptococcus. Septic shock with acute organ dysfunction due to meningococcal septicemia.
The 2021 edition of ICD-10-CM R65.21 became effective on October 1, 2020.
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.
Bacteremia . Bacteremia is a lab finding of infectious organisms in the blood. The patient has no clinical signs of sepsis or SIRS. Bacteremia may be transient, or may lead to sepsis. When a patient’s blood cultures are positive and not believed to be a contaminant, the patient is usually treated with antibiotics.
The discharge diagnoses were influenza with pneumonia bacterial superinfection, positive for pseudomonas, as well as acidosis, asthma exacerbation, hypoxemia, and chronic bronchitis. Sepsis and SIRS were not mentioned on the discharge summary, and are mentioned only sporadically throughout the progress notes.
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: 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.
Coding tips: Only one code is needed to report sepsis without organ dysfunction. Most sepsis codes are listed in A40.- through A41.9. If a causal organism is specified, then use the code for sepsis naming the specific organism. Per AHA Coding Clinic® (Vol. 5, No. 1, p. 16), when sepsis is linked to an infection with an organism, assign the combination code for sepsis including the organism. For example, sepsis due to E. coli UTI can be coded as A41.51 and N39.0.
Sepsis can be caused by fungi, candida, or viruses, as well. It is important to use the Alphabetic Index to select the appropriate code for the systemic infection. For example, if a patient is diagnosed with candidal sepsis due to a candida UTI, you would report B37.7 Candidal sepsis for the principal diagnosis and B37.49 Other urogenital candidiasis for the secondary diagnosis. Do not select a code from A40.- through A41.9.
Sepsis is an extreme response to infection that develops when the chemicals the immune system releases into the bloodstream to fight infection cause widespread inflammation. This inflammation can lead to blood clots and leaky blood vessels, and without timely treatment, may result in organ dysfunction and then death. Severe cases of sepsis often result from a body-wide infection that spreads through the bloodstream, but sepsis can also be triggered by an infection in the lungs, stomach, kidneys, or bladder. Thus, it is not necessary for blood cultures to be positive to code sepsis (guideline I.C.1.d.1.a.i).
For instance, if 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.
Severe sepsis is sepsis with acute organ dysfunction. It occurs when one or more of the body’s organs is damaged from the inflammatory response. Any organ can be affected.
Septic shock refers to circulatory failure associated with severe sepsis. It is a life-threatening condition that happens when the exaggerated response to infection leads to dangerously low blood pressure (hypotension). Septic shock is a form of organ failure.
Documentation issues: When SIRS is documented with an inflammatory condition, such as pancreatitis, the inflammatory condition should be sequenced first, followed by the code for SIRS, R65.1-. When SIRS is documented with an infectious source, for instance, “SIRS due to pneumonia,” only code pneumonia. However, a query for sepsis may be appropriate according to AHA Coding Clinic® (Vol. 1, No. 3, p. 4).