2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A41.02

Sepsis due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

ICD-10-CM Code:
A41.02
ICD-10 Code for:
Sepsis due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Not chronic
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
    (A00–B99)
    • Other bacterial diseases
      (A30-A49)
      • Other sepsis
        (A41)

A41.02 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of sepsis due to methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024.

Approximate Synonyms

The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code:

  • Sepsis due to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
  • Sepsis due to Staphylococcus
  • Sepsis due to Staphylococcus aureus
  • Septic shock co-occurrent with acute organ dysfunction due to Gram-positive coccus
  • Septic shock co-occurrent with acute organ dysfunction due to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
  • Septic shock co-occurrent with acute organ dysfunction due to methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus
  • Septic shock co-occurrent with acute organ dysfunction due to Staphylococcus

Clinical Classification

Clinical CategoryCCSR Category CodeInpatient Default CCSROutpatient Default CCSR
Bacterial infectionsINF003N - Not default inpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.N - Not default outpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.
SepticemiaINF002Y - Yes, default inpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.Y - Yes, default outpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Convert A41.02 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 038.12 - MRSA septicemia
    Combination Flag - Multiple codes are needed to describe the source diagnosis code. Correct coding should be done based on contextual judgment.
  • ICD-9-CM Code: 995.91 - Sepsis
    Combination Flag - Multiple codes are needed to describe the source diagnosis code. Correct coding should be done based on contextual judgment.

Patient Education


Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotics are medicines that fight bacterial infections. Used properly, they can save lives. But there is a growing problem of antibiotic resistance. It happens when bacteria change and resist the effects of an antibiotic. Resistant bacteria may continue to grow and multiply.

Each time you take antibiotics there is a risk that the bacteria will become resistant. Resistant infections can be difficult and sometimes impossible to treat. They can spread to other people. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one example. It causes infections that are resistant to several common antibiotics.

Antibiotic resistance can cause problems. To help prevent antibiotic resistance:

  • Don't use antibiotics for viruses like colds or flu. Antibiotics don't work on viruses.
  • Don't ask your health care provider to give you an antibiotic.
  • When you take antibiotics, follow the directions carefully. Finish your medicine even if you feel better. If you stop treatment too soon, some bacteria may survive and re-infect you.
  • Do not share your antibiotics with others.
  • Don't save antibiotics for later or use someone else's prescription.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

MRSA

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It causes a staph infection (pronounced "staff infection") that is resistant to several common antibiotics. There are two types of infection. Hospital-associated MRSA happens to people in health care settings. Community-associated MRSA happens to people who have close skin-to-skin contact with others, such as athletes involved in football and wrestling.

Infection control is key to stopping MRSA in hospitals. To prevent community-associated MRSA:

  • Practice good hygiene
  • Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed
  • Avoid contact with other people's wounds or bandages
  • Avoid sharing personal items, such as towels, washcloths, razors, or clothes
  • Wash soiled sheets, towels, and clothes in hot water with bleach and dry in a hot dryer

If a wound appears to be infected, see a health care provider. Treatments may include draining the infection and antibiotics.


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Sepsis

What is sepsis?

Sepsis is your body's overactive and extreme response to an infection. Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency. Without quick treatment, it can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and even death.

What causes sepsis?

Sepsis happens when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. Bacterial infections are the most common cause, but other types of infections can also cause it.

The infections are often in the lungs, stomach, kidneys, or bladder. It's possible for sepsis to begin with a small cut that gets infected or with an infection that develops after surgery. Sometimes, sepsis can occur in people who didn't even know that they had an infection.

Who is at risk for sepsis?

Anyone with an infection could get sepsis. But certain people are at higher risk:

  • Adults 65 or older
  • People with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, lung disease, cancer, and kidney disease
  • People with weakened immune systems
  • Pregnant women
  • Children younger than one

What are the symptoms of sepsis?

Sepsis can cause one or more of these symptoms:

  • Rapid breathing and heart rate
  • Shortness of breath
  • Confusion or disorientation
  • Extreme pain or discomfort
  • Fever, shivering, or feeling very cold
  • Clammy or sweaty skin

It's important to get medical care right away if you think you might have sepsis or if your infection is not getting better or is getting worse.

What other problems can sepsis cause?

Severe cases of sepsis can lead to septic shock, where your blood pressure drops to a dangerous level and multiple organs can fail.

How is sepsis diagnosed?

Your health care provider may use many tools to make a diagnosis:

  • A medical history, which includes asking about your symptoms
  • A physical exam, including checking vital signs (your temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing)
  • Lab tests that check for signs of infection or organ damage
  • Imaging tests such as an x-ray or a CT scan to find the location of the infection

Many of the signs and symptoms of sepsis can also be caused by other medical conditions. This may make sepsis hard to diagnose in its early stages.

What are the treatments for sepsis?

It is very important to get treatment right away. Treatment usually includes:

  • Antibiotics
  • Maintaining blood flow to organs. This may involve getting oxygen and intravenous (IV) fluids.
  • Treating the source of the infection
  • If needed, medicines to increase blood pressure

In serious cases, you might need kidney dialysis or a breathing tube. Some people need surgery to remove tissue damaged by the infection.

Can sepsis be prevented?

To prevent sepsis, you should try to prevent getting an infection:

  • Take good care of any chronic health conditions that you have
  • Get recommended vaccines
  • Practice good hygiene, such as handwashing
  • Keep cuts clean and covered until healed

NIH: National Institute of General Medical SciencesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention


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Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.

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.