2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A48.51Infant botulism
ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›A30-A49›A48
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- CC — Complication or Comorbidity
- Not Chronic
A48.51 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for infant botulism. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 791, 793, 867 through 869. As a secondary diagnosis, it counts as a complication or comorbidity (CC) and moves an inpatient stay to a higher severity level within its MS-DRG family. It does not count, however, when the principal diagnosis is one of 7 closely related codes. The code is restricted by the Medicare Code Editor to pediatric patients (age 0 through 17). In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Foodborne intoxications and Perinatal infections.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Code EditsBilling
Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for A48.51.
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Autonomic disorder due to botulism
- Disorder of autonomic nervous system due to infectious disease
- Disorder of neuromuscular junction caused by botulinum toxin
- Foodborne botulism
- Foodborne botulism, type A
- Infantile botulism
- Infection caused by Clostridium botulinum
- Infection of intestine caused by Clostridium botulinum
- Intestinal botulism
- Neonatal botulism
- Poisoning caused by Clostridium botulinum toxin
- Toxic neuromuscular junction disorder
Instructional NotesGuidance
Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to A48.51: its own notes plus those printed at A48.5, A48, and Chapter 1. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.
Includes
Further defines, or gives examples of, the content of the category.
- diseases generally recognized as communicable or transmissible
Excludes1
Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
- food poisoning due to toxins of Clostridium botulinum (A05.1)
Excludes2
Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may be reported.
- carrier or suspected carrier of infectious disease (Z22.-)
- certain localized infections - see body system-related chapters
- infectious and parasitic diseases complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O98.-)
- infectious and parasitic diseases specific to the perinatal period (P35-P39)
- influenza and other acute respiratory infections (J00-J22)
Use Additional Code
Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.
- code to identify resistance to antimicrobial drugs (Z16.-)
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.
Referenced in Other NotesGuidance
Instructional notes printed at other codes that name A48.51, its category, or a range that includes it.
Excludes1 2
These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming A48.51: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.
Excludes2 1
These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming A48.51: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.
- Block P35-P39 Infections specific to the perinatal periodinfant botulism (A48.51)
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Clinical InformationClinical
Infant Botulism
botulism that is caused by contact with spores of clostridial bacteria, which subsequently grow in the intestine and release toxin.
Patient EducationClinical
Botulism
Botulism is a rare but serious illness. The cause is a toxin (poison) made by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. It occurs naturally in soil.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert A48.51 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About A48.51Overview
What is the ICD-10 code for infant botulism?
The ICD-10-CM code for infant botulism is A48.51 (sometimes written as A4851). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Is A48.51 (Other specified botulism) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report infant botulism on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
What MS-DRG does A48.51 group to?
When infant botulism is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 793, 791, 867, 869, 868, with relative weights from 0.6784 to 4.2192 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
Is A48.51 a CC or MCC?
CMS lists A48.51 as a CC (complication or comorbidity) for FY 2027. Reported as a secondary diagnosis, it moves the inpatient stay to a higher-weighted DRG within its severity family. It does not count when the principal diagnosis is one of the 7 closely related codes in its exclusion list.
Who can A48.51 be reported for?
The Medicare Code Editor checks infant botulism against patient demographics: this code is intended for pediatric patients (age 0 through 17). Claims outside these limits are flagged as inconsistent.
