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  3. I00–I99
  4. I70-I79
  5. Septic arterial embolism (I76)

Septic arterial embolism (I76)

ICD-10 code I76 is used to identify septic arterial embolism, a serious condition where infected clots block blood flow in arteries. This code covers cases involving infected arterial blockages that originate from sources such as infective heart valve vegetations.

Septic arterial embolism, sometimes called intracranial septic embolism or septic embolus of artery, refers to emboli that carry infection leading to arterial obstruction. This code is crucial for accurately documenting arterial embolisms caused by infection-related factors, particularly those arising from infected heart valve vegetations. Medical coders use I76 when billing or recording conditions that involve infected emboli blocking major arteries, such as the aorta or peripheral arteries, often complicating septicemia cases. Understanding these synonyms helps ensure the proper ICD-10 code is assigned when treating embolisms due to infectious sources.

Instructional Notations

Code First

Certain conditions have both an underlying etiology and multiple body system manifestations due to the underlying etiology. For such conditions, the ICD-10-CM has a coding convention that requires the underlying condition be sequenced first followed by the manifestation. Wherever such a combination exists, there is a "use additional code" note at the etiology code, and a "code first" note at the manifestation code. These instructional notes indicate the proper sequencing order of the codes, etiology followed by manifestation.

  • underlying infection, such as:
  • infective endocarditis I33.0
  • lung abscess J85

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.

  • code to identify the site of the embolism I74

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.