Coding sepsis d/t organism
If the provider documents "Sepsis 2/2 to Streptococcus pneumoniae PNA."
Can we code Streptococcus pneumoniae Sepsis?
Thank you in advance for your input!
If the provider documents "Sepsis 2/2 to Streptococcus pneumoniae PNA."
Can we code Streptococcus pneumoniae Sepsis?
Thank you in advance for your input!
Comments
Yes
Thank you, the coder and I struggled with this.
The chart links the sepsis to the particular organism, as such, I code this as due to that organism. Others may have different opinion.
P. Evans, RHIA, CCDS
This recent coding clinic may be helpful!
Sepsis due to gram-negative aspiration pneumonia ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Clinic, Second Quarter ICD-10 2020 Pages: 28-29 Effective with discharges: May 29, 2020
Question: A patient was discharged with the following diagnoses: 1. sepsis secondary to aspiration pneumonia, 2. aspiration pneumonia secondary to probable gram-negative bacteria. Both diagnoses were present on admission. Should this be coded as sepsis due to gram-negative pneumonia?
Answer: When sepsis and aspiration pneumonia are related and present on admission, the sepsis should be sequenced as the principal diagnosis. Assign code A41.50, Gram-negative sepsis, unspecified, as the principal diagnosis. Codes J15.6, Pneumonia due to other Gramnegative bacteria, and J69.0, Pneumonitis due to inhalation of food and vomit, should be assigned as additional diagnoses. The pneumonia is a gram-negative bacterial aspiration pneumonia and is the localized infection that has led to sepsis. Code J69.0 is assigned to capture aspiration pneumonia.
The coding professional should follow guideline 1.C.1.d.4, Sepsis and severe sepsis with a localized infection, which states, "if the reason for admission is both sepsis or severe sepsis and a localized infection, such as pneumonia or cellulitis, a code(s) for the underlying systemic infection should be assigned first and the code for the localized infection should be assigned as a secondary diagnosis."
This is very helpful, thank you ehsninchak