Puerperal sepsis (O85)
ICD-10 code O85 is used to identify puerperal sepsis, a serious infection occurring during the postpartum period. This code captures infections like puerperal peritonitis and sepsis that develop after childbirth, which require immediate medical attention.
Puerperal sepsis (O85)puerperal peritonitis, sepsis following obstructed labor, and other postnatal septic complications. These synonyms help clarify that this code applies specifically to infections arising as complications during the puerperium, the weeks following delivery. Medical coders use this code when documentation indicates septicemia or reproductive system infections linked directly to childbirth. Knowing that the ICD-10 code O85 encompasses all these closely related conditions aids accurate medical billing and ensures proper treatment records for postpartum infection management.
Instructional Notations
Inclusion Terms
These terms are the conditions for which that code is to be used. The terms may be synonyms of the code title, or, in the case of "other specified" codes, the terms are a list of the various conditions assigned to that code. The inclusion terms are not necessarily exhaustive. Additional terms found only in the Alphabetic Index may also be assigned to a code.
- Postpartum sepsis
- Puerperal peritonitis
- Puerperal pyemia
Use Additional Code
The “use additional code” indicates that a secondary code could be used to further specify the patient’s condition. This note is not mandatory and is only used if enough information is available to assign an additional code.
Type 1 Excludes
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
- fever of unknown origin following delivery O86.4
- obstetric pyemic and septic embolism O88.3
- puerperal septic thrombophlebitis O86.81
Type 2 Excludes
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.
