2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H44.009Unspecified purulent endophthalmitis, unspecified eye

ICD-10-CM Codes›H00–H59›H43-H44›H44

ICD-10-CM H44.009
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

H44.009 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified purulent endophthalmitis, unspecified eye. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 121 through 122. The code is flagged as an unspecified code, since codes identifying laterality exist in the same family. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Uveitis and ocular inflammation.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
H44.009
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Unspecified purulent endophthalmitis, unspecified eye
Short Description
Unspecified purulent endophthalmitis, unspecified eye
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
H44.00
Unspecified purulent endophthalmitis

Code Classification

ChapterH00–H59Diseases of the eye and adnexa
SectionH43-H44Disorders of vitreous body and globe
CategoryH44Disorders of globe
This CodeH44.009Unspecified purulent endophthalmitis, unspecified eye

Code EditsBilling

Medicare Code Editor checks that affect claim validity for H44.009.

Unspecified codes
Unspecified codes exist in the ICD-10-CM classification for circumstances when documentation in the medical record does not provide the level of detail needed to support reporting a more specific code. However, in the inpatient setting, there should generally be very limited and rare circumstances for which the laterality (right, left, bilateral) of a condition is unable to be documented and reported. The following pages contain the list of unspecified ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes for which there is a more specific code to identify laterality (right, left, bilateral) within that code family.

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Abscess of eye
  • Acanthamoeba endophthalmitis
  • Acute bacterial endophthalmitis following surgical procedure
  • Acute endophthalmitis
  • Acute postoperative endophthalmitis
  • Aspergillus endophthalmitis
  • Bacterial endophthalmitis
  • Bacterial infection of eye
  • Bilateral endophthalmitis of eyes
  • Candida endophthalmitis
  • Chronic endophthalmitis
  • Chronic postoperative bacterial endophthalmitis
  • Chronic postoperative endophthalmitis
  • Endogenous Aspergillus endophthalmitis
  • Endogenous bacterial endophthalmitis
  • Endogenous candidal endophthalmitis
  • Endogenous endophthalmitis
  • Endogenous fungal endophthalmitis
  • Endophthalmitis
  • Endophthalmitis of left eye
  • Endophthalmitis of right eye
  • Exogenous fungal endophthalmitis
  • Eye infection
  • Fungal endophthalmitis
  • Infection of anterior chamber of eye caused by parasite
  • Infection of eye caused by Avian Paramyxovirus 1
  • Infectious endophthalmitis
  • Meningococcal eye disease
  • Postoperative bacterial endophthalmitis
  • Postoperative endophthalmitis
  • Postoperative endophthalmitis caused by Propionibacterium acnes
  • Postoperative infectious endophthalmitis
  • Post-traumatic bacterial endophthalmitis
  • Propionibacterium acnes endophthalmitis
  • Purulent endophthalmitis
  • Staphylococcal eye infection

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.

    • Endophthalmitis(acute) (infective) (metastatic) (subacute)

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR EYE004
Uveitis and ocular inflammation
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Endophthalmitis

    suppurative inflammation of the tissues of the internal structures of the eye frequently associated with an infection.

  • Bacterial Endophthalmitis

    endophthalmitis caused by bacterial infection of the vitreous or aqueous humors.

  • Phacoanaphylactic Endophthalmitis|Phacoanaphylactic endophthalmitis

    a chronic endophthalmitis with a sonal granulomatous inflammatory area surrounding a ruptured lens.

  • Endophthalmitis

    an infectious process affecting the internal structures of the eye.

  • Endophthalmitis, CTCAE|Endophthalmitis|Endophthalmitis

    a disorder characterized by an infectious process involving the internal structures of the eye.

  • Fungal Endophthalmitis

    inflammation of the lining of the ocular cavities, which results from a fungal infection.

  • Grade 2 Endophthalmitis, CTCAE|Grade 2 Endophthalmitis

    local intervention indicated

  • Grade 3 Endophthalmitis, CTCAE|Grade 3 Endophthalmitis

    systemic intervention; hospitalization indicated

  • Grade 4 Endophthalmitis, CTCAE|Grade 4 Endophthalmitis

    best corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in the affected eye

  • Parasitic Endophthalmitis

    infection of the interior of the eye, especially the aqueous and/or vitreous humor, by a parasite.

Patient EducationClinical

Eye Infections

Your eyes can get infections from bacteria, fungi, or viruses. Eye infections can occur in different parts of the eye and can affect just one eye or both. Two common eye infections are:

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert H44.009 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
360.00 Purulent endophthalm NOS
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.
ICD-9-CM
360.01 Acute endophthalmitis
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.
ICD-9-CM
360.03 Chronic endophthalmitis
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 H44.009Overview

Is H44.009 (Unspecified purulent endophthalmitis) a billable code?

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

What MS-DRG does H44.009 group to?

When unspecified purulent endophthalmitis, unspecified eye is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 121, 122, with relative weights from 0.7858 to 1.1633 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of H44.009?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified purulent endophthalmitis, unspecified eye converts to ICD-9-CM 360.00 (purulent endophthalm NOS), 360.01 (acute endophthalmitis), and 360.03 (chronic endophthalmitis). 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.