2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code B96.5Pseudomonas (aeruginosa) (mallei) (pseudomallei) as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere

ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›B95-B97›B96

ICD-10-CM B96.5
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

B96.5 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for Pseudomonas (aeruginosa) (mallei) (pseudomallei) as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere. 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. The code is not accepted as a principal diagnosis by the Medicare Code Editor. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Bacterial infections.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
B96.5
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Pseudomonas (aeruginosa) (mallei) (pseudomallei) as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere
Short Description
Pseudomonas (mallei) causing diseases classd elswhr
Parent Code
B96
Other bacterial agents as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere

Code Classification

ChapterA00–B99Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
SectionB95-B97Bacterial and viral infectious agents
CategoryB96Other bacterial agents as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere
This CodeB96.5Pseudomonas (aeruginosa) (mallei) (pseudomallei) as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for B96.5.

Unacceptable principal diagnosis
There are selected codes that describe a circumstance which influences an individual's health status but not a current illness or injury, or codes that are not specific manifestations but may be due to an underlying cause. These codes are considered unacceptable as a principal diagnosis.

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Arthritis caused by Pseudomonas
  • Bacteremia caused by Pseudomonas
  • Bacterial paronychia
  • Chloronychia
  • Chloronychia caused by Pseudomonas
  • Cystitis caused by Pseudomonas
  • Gram-negative folliculitis
  • Infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Liverpool epidemic strain
  • Intestinal infection caused by Pseudomonas
  • Malignant otitis externa
  • Malignant otitis externa caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Malignant otitis media
  • Meningitis caused by gram-negative aerobic bacillus
  • Neonatal bacterial conjunctivitis
  • Neonatal infection of nasolacrimal duct caused by bacterium
  • Neonatal infection of nasolacrimal duct caused by Pseudomonas
  • Neonatal infection of skin caused by Pseudomonas
  • Neonatal pseudomonas infection
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa colitis
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa folliculitis
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection of nail
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa mastitis
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa paronychia
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa urinary tract infection
  • Pseudomonas gastrointestinal tract infection
  • Pseudomonas meningitis
  • Pseudomonas ophthalmia neonatorum
  • Pseudomonas pyocyaneus congenital infection
  • Urinary tract infection caused by Pseudomonas

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.

    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • bacterial NOS
        • as cause of disease classified elsewhere
          • Pseudomonas (aeruginosa) (mallei) (pseudomallei)
    • Infection, infected, infective(opportunistic)
      • Pseudomonas NEC
        • as cause of disease classified elsewhere
    • Pseudomonas
      • aeruginosa, as cause of disease classified elsewhere
    • Pseudomonas
      • mallei infection
        • as cause of disease classified elsewhere
    • Pseudomonas
      • pseudomallei, as cause of disease classified elsewhere

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR INF003
Bacterial infections
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No

Patient EducationClinical

Bacterial Infections

Bacteria are tiny organisms (living things) that have only one cell. Under a microscope, they look like balls, rods, or spirals. They can be found almost everywhere on Earth. There are lots of bacteria in and on your body. In fact, your body has about 10 times more bacteria cells than human cells.

The full article covers:

  • What are bacteria?
  • How do bacterial infections spread?
  • What are the treatments for bacterial infections?
  • Can bacterial infections be prevented?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert B96.5 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
041.7 Pseudomonas infect NOS
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 B96.5Overview

Is B96.5 a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report Pseudomonas (aeruginosa) (mallei) (pseudomallei) as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does B96.5 group to?

On inpatient claims, Pseudomonas (aeruginosa) (mallei) (pseudomallei) as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere maps to MS-DRG 867, 868, 869, with relative weights from 0.7297 to 2.0932 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can B96.5 be a principal diagnosis?

No. The Medicare Code Editor rejects this code as a principal diagnosis because Pseudomonas (aeruginosa) (mallei) (pseudomallei) as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere describes a circumstance that influences health status rather than a current illness. Report it as a secondary diagnosis.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of B96.5?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, Pseudomonas (aeruginosa) (mallei) (pseudomallei) as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere converts to ICD-9-CM 041.7 (Pseudomonas infect NOS). 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.