2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A54.43Gonococcal osteomyelitis
ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›A50-A64›A54
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
A54.43 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for gonococcal osteomyelitis. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 456 through 458, 548 through 550. Coders also document this condition as bacterial osteomyelitis. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Osteomyelitis and Sexually transmitted infections (excluding HIV and hepatitis).
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Bacterial osteomyelitis
- Gonococcal osteomyelitis
- Infection of musculoskeletal system caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Tabular List NotesGuidance
Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.
Type 2 Excludes
- gonococcal infection of spine A54.41
A type 2 excludes note represents "Not included here". An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
- Gonococcus, gonococcal (disease) (infection) - See Also: condition; - A54.9
- osteomyelitis - A54.43
- Periostitis (albuminosa) (circumscribed) (diffuse) (infective) (monomelic) - See Also: Osteomyelitis;
- gonorrheal - A54.43
External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance
References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.
- Gonococcus, gonococcal(disease) (infection)
- musculoskeletal
- osteomyelitis
- Periostitis(albuminosa) (circumscribed) (diffuse) (infective) (monomelic)
- gonorrheal
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
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 A54.43 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About A54.43Overview
Is A54.43 (Gonococcal infection of musculoskeletal system) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report gonococcal osteomyelitis on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What MS-DRG does A54.43 group to?
When gonococcal osteomyelitis is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 456, 457, 458, 548, 549, 550, with relative weights from 0.8741 to 8.4034 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of A54.43?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, gonococcal osteomyelitis converts to ICD-9-CM 098.59 (gc infect joint 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.
