2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A41.9

Sepsis, unspecified organism

ICD-10-CM Code:
A41.9
ICD-10 Code for:
Sepsis, unspecified organism
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)

A41.9 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of sepsis, unspecified organism. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024.

Unspecified diagnosis codes like A41.9 are acceptable when clinical information is unknown or not available about a particular condition. Although a more specific code is preferable, unspecified codes should be used when such codes most accurately reflect what is known about a patient's condition. Specific diagnosis codes should not be used if not supported by the patient's medical record.

Approximate Synonyms

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

  • Acute kidney injury due to sepsis
  • Acute lung injury
  • Acute respiratory distress
  • Bacterial sepsis
  • Chronic kidney disease due to systemic infection
  • Clinical infection
  • Clinical sepsis
  • Encephalopathy with sepsis
  • Gastritis with sepsis
  • Gastrointestinal hemorrhage with sepsis
  • Gastrointestinal lesion with sepsis
  • Gastrointestinal ulceration due to sepsis
  • Indirect acute lung injury
  • Infection of blood and lymphatic system
  • Infection of bloodstream
  • Left ventricular failure with sepsis
  • Lemierre syndrome
  • Lung injury with sepsis
  • Myocardial dysfunction with sepsis
  • Neutropenic sepsis
  • Postoperative sepsis
  • Pyemia
  • Respiratory distress
  • Right ventricular failure with sepsis
  • Sepsis
  • Sepsis associated with internal vascular access
  • Sepsis due to oral infection
  • Sepsis due to urinary tract infection
  • Sepsis following infusion, injection, transfusion AND/OR vaccination
  • Sepsis in asplenic subject
  • Sepsis with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
  • Sepsis with cutaneous manifestations
  • Sepsis without acute organ dysfunction
  • Sepsis without septic shock
  • Septic bronchitis
  • Septic splenitis
  • Septic thrombophlebitis
  • Septicemia associated with vascular access catheter
  • Systemic inflammatory response syndrome
  • Systemic inflammatory response syndrome without organ dysfunction
  • Thrombophlebitis of internal jugular vein
  • Thrombosis of internal jugular vein
  • Transient respiratory distress with sepsis

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.

Clinical Information

  • Lemierre Syndrome

    a superinfection of the damaged oropharyngeal mucosa by fusobacterium necrophorum leading to the secondary septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein.
  • Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome

    a systemic inflammatory response to a variety of clinical insults, characterized by two or more of the following conditions: (1) fever >38 degrees c or hypothermia <36 degrees c; (2) tachycardia >90 beat/minute; (3) tachypnea >24 breaths/minute; (4) leukocytosis >12,000 cells/cubic mm or 10% immature forms. while usually related to infection, sirs can also be associated with noninfectious insults such as trauma; burns; or pancreatitis. if infection is involved, a patient with sirs is said to have sepsis.
  • Acute Lung Injury

    a condition of lung damage that is characterized by bilateral pulmonary infiltrates (pulmonary edema) rich in neutrophils, and in the absence of clinical heart failure. this can represent a spectrum of pulmonary lesions, endothelial and epithelial, due to numerous factors (physical, chemical, or biological).
  • Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury

    a rare but serious transfusion-related reaction in which fluid builds up in the lungs unrelated to excessively high infusion rate and/or volume (transfusion-associated circulatory overload). signs of transfusion-related acute lung injury include pulmonary secretions; hypotension; fever; dyspnea; tachypnea; tachycardia; and cyanosis.
  • Burkholderia Infections

    infections with bacteria of the genus burkholderia.
  • Neonatal Sepsis

    blood infection that occurs in an infant younger than 90 days old. early-onset sepsis is seen in the first week of life and most often appears within 24 hours of birth. late-onset occurs after 1 week and before 3 months of age.
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious

    the co-occurrence of pregnancy and an infection. the infection may precede or follow fertilization.
  • Puerperal Infection

    an infection occurring in puerperium, the period of 6-8 weeks after giving birth.
  • Sepsis

    systemic inflammatory response syndrome with a proven or suspected infectious etiology. when sepsis is associated with organ dysfunction distant from the site of infection, it is called severe sepsis. when sepsis is accompanied by hypotension despite adequate fluid infusion, it is called septic shock.
  • Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy

    acute neurological dysfunction during severe sepsis in the absence of direct brain infection characterized by systemic inflammation and blood brain barrier perturbation.
  • Burkholderia

    a genus of gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacteria originally classified as members of the pseudomonadaceae.

Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries

The following annotation back-references are applicable to this diagnosis code. The Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries is a list of ICD-10-CM codes, organized "head to toe" into chapters and sections with coding notes and guidance for inclusions, exclusions, descriptions and more.


Inclusion Terms

Inclusion Terms
These terms are the conditions for which that code is to be used. The terms may be synonyms of the code title, or, in the case of "other specified" codes, the terms are a list of the various conditions assigned to that code. The inclusion terms are not necessarily exhaustive. Additional terms found only in the Alphabetic Index may also be assigned to a code.
  • Septicemia NOS

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 A41.9 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 038.9 - Septicemia NOS
    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


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.