2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A48.0Gas gangrene

ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›A30-A49›A48

ICD-10-CM A48.0
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

A48.0 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for gas gangrene. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 867 through 869. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Bacterial infections.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
A48.0
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Gas gangrene
Short Description
Gas gangrene
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
A48
Other bacterial diseases, not elsewhere classified

Code Classification

ChapterA00–B99Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
SectionA30-A49Other bacterial diseases
CategoryA48Other bacterial diseases, not elsewhere classified
This CodeA48.0Gas gangrene

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Anaerobic cellulitis
  • Anaerobic myonecrosis
  • Gas gangrene
  • Gas gangrene caused by Clostridium edematiens
  • Gas gangrene caused by clostridium histolyticum
  • Gas gangrene caused by clostridium perfringens
  • Gas gangrene caused by clostridium septicum
  • Gas gangrene caused by Paeniclostridium sordellii
  • Gas gangrene of back
  • Gas gangrene of foot
  • Gas gangrene of forearm
  • Gas gangrene of hand
  • Gas gangrene of limb
  • Gas gangrene of lower leg
  • Gas gangrene of lower limb
  • Gas gangrene of neck
  • Gas gangrene of pelvic region of trunk
  • Gas gangrene of shoulder region
  • Gas gangrene of skin
  • Gas gangrene of thigh
  • Gas gangrene of upper arm
  • Gas gangrene of upper limb
  • Infection caused by Clostridium botulinum
  • Infection caused by Clostridium novyi
  • Infection caused by Clostridium perfringens
  • Intestinal gas gangrene
  • Uterine gas gangrene

Tabular List NotesGuidance

Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.

Inclusion Terms

  • Clostridial cellulitis
  • Clostridial myonecrosis

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • Abscess(connective tissue) (embolic) (fistulous) (infective) (metastatic) (multiple) (pernicious) (pyogenic) (septic)
      • anerobic
    • Aerogenes capsulatus infection
    • Cellulitis(diffuse) (phlegmonous) (septic) (suppurative)
      • anaerobic
    • Cellulitis(diffuse) (phlegmonous) (septic) (suppurative)
      • clostridial
    • Gangrene, gangrenous(connective tissue) (dropsical) (dry) (moist) (skin) (ulcer)
      • Bacillus welchii
    • Gangrene, gangrenous(connective tissue) (dropsical) (dry) (moist) (skin) (ulcer)
      • Clostridium perfringens or welchii
    • Gangrene, gangrenous(connective tissue) (dropsical) (dry) (moist) (skin) (ulcer)
      • gas (bacillus)
    • Gas
      • gangrene
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • aerogenes capsulatus
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • Bacillus
        • gas (gangrene)
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • Clostridioides
        • difficile
          • gas gangrene
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • Clostridium NEC
        • bifermentans
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • Clostridium NEC
        • difficile
          • gas gangrene
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • Clostridium NEC
        • gas-forming NEC
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • Clostridium NEC
        • histolyticum
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • Clostridium NEC
        • novyi, causing gas gangrene
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • Clostridium NEC
        • oedematiens
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • Clostridium NEC
        • perfringens
          • gas gangrene
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • Clostridium NEC
        • septicum, causing gas gangrene
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • Clostridium NEC
        • sordellii, causing gas gangrene
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • Clostridium NEC
        • welchii
          • gas gangrene
    • Myonecrosis, clostridial
    • Myositis
      • clostridial

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR INF003
Bacterial infections
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Gas Gangrene

    a severe condition resulting from bacteria invading healthy muscle from adjacent traumatized muscle or soft tissue. the infection originates in a wound contaminated with bacteria of the genus clostridium. c. perfringens accounts for the majority of cases (over eighty percent), while c. noyvi, c. septicum, and c. histolyticum cause most of the other cases.

  • Clostridium

    a genus of motile or nonmotile gram-positive bacteria of the family clostridiaceae. many species have been identified with some being pathogenic. they occur in water, soil, and in the intestinal tract of humans and lower animals.

Patient EducationClinical

Gangrene

Gangrene is the death of tissues in your body. It happens when a part of your body loses its blood supply. Gangrene can happen on the surface of the body, such as on the skin, or inside the body, in muscles or organs. Causes include:

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert A48.0 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
040.0 Gas gangrene
Exact Match The mapping is direct, with no qualifiers.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About A48.0Overview

Is A48.0 (Other bacterial diseases, not elsewhere classified) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report gas gangrene on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does A48.0 group to?

When gas gangrene is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 867, 868, 869, with relative weights from 0.7297 to 2.0932 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of A48.0?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, gas gangrene converts to ICD-9-CM 040.0 (gas gangrene). 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.