2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A54.21Gonococcal infection of kidney and ureter

ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›A50-A64›A54

ICD-10-CM A54.21
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

A54.21 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for gonococcal infection of kidney and ureter. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 727 through 728, 742 through 743, 757 through 759. Coders also document this condition as gonorrhea of kidney and ureter. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Other specified and unspecified diseases of kidney and ureters and Sexually transmitted infections (excluding HIV and hepatitis).

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
A54.21
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Gonococcal infection of kidney and ureter
Short Description
Gonococcal infection of kidney and ureter
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
A54.2
Gonococcal pelviperitonitis and other gonococcal genitourinary infection

Code Classification

ChapterA00–B99Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
SectionA50-A64Infections with a predominantly sexual mode of transmission
CategoryA54Gonococcal infection
This CodeA54.21Gonococcal infection of kidney and ureter

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Gonorrhea of kidney and ureter
  • Gonorrhea of upper genitourinary tract

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.

    • Gonorrhea(acute) (chronic)
      • kidney (acute) (chronic)
    • Nephritis, nephritic(albuminuric) (azotemic) (congenital) (disseminated) (epithelial) (familial) (focal) (granulomatous) (hemorrhagic) (infantile) (nonsuppurative, excretory) (uremic)
      • gonococcal (acute) (chronic)
    • Ureteritis
      • gonococcal (acute) (chronic)

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR GEN006
Other specified and unspecified diseases of kidney and ureters
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No
CCSR INF010
Sexually transmitted infections (excluding HIV and hepatitis)
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is most common in young adults. The bacteria that cause gonorrhea can infect the genital tract, mouth, or anus. You can get gonorrhea during vaginal, oral, or anal sex with an infected partner. A pregnant woman can pass it to her baby during childbirth.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert A54.21 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
098.19 Gc (acute) upper gu NEC
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

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 A54.21Overview

Is A54.21 a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report gonococcal infection of kidney and ureter on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does A54.21 group to?

When gonococcal infection of kidney and ureter is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 727, 728, 742, 743, 757, 758, 759, with relative weights from 0.6636 to 1.8348 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of A54.21?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, gonococcal infection of kidney and ureter converts to ICD-9-CM 098.19 (gc (acute) upper gu NEC). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.

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.