2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A36.3Cutaneous diphtheria
ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›A30-A49›A36
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
A36.3 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for cutaneous diphtheria. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 606 through 607. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Bacterial infections and Skin and subcutaneous tissue infections.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Cutaneous diphtheria
Tabular List NotesGuidance
Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.
Type 2 Excludes
- erythrasma L08.1
A type 2 excludes note represents "Not included here". An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
- Dermatitis (eczematous) - L30.9
- diphtheritica - A36.3
- Diphtheria, diphtheritic (gangrenous) (hemorrhagic) - A36.9
- cutaneous - A36.3
- infection of wound - A36.3
External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance
References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.
- Dermatitis(eczematous)
- diphtheritica
- Diphtheria, diphtheritic(gangrenous) (hemorrhagic)
- cutaneous
- Diphtheria, diphtheritic(gangrenous) (hemorrhagic)
- infection of wound
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Clinical InformationClinical
Cutaneous Diphtheria
a usually mild form of diphtheria characterized by infection of the skin by corynebacterium diphtheria and the resulting formation of a chronic, shallow ulcer that is sometimes bordered or followed by a bulla.
Patient EducationClinical
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection. You can catch it from a person who has the infection and coughs or sneezes. You can also get infected by coming in contact with an object, such as a toy, that has bacteria on it.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert A36.3 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About A36.3Overview
Is A36.3 (Diphtheria) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report cutaneous diphtheria on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What MS-DRG does A36.3 group to?
When cutaneous diphtheria is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 606, 607, with relative weights from 0.9064 to 1.5132 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of A36.3?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, cutaneous diphtheria converts to ICD-9-CM 032.85 (cutaneous diphtheria). The mapping is a direct match.
Footnotes
[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.
