# Early Sepsis



## tdsmitchell (Jul 9, 2010)

early sepsis; would you code this to sepsis or symptoms? thank you


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## jfogelquist (Jul 9, 2010)

*Treating?*

If they are treating (antibiotic) I would code it to Sepsis.


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## PURNIMA (Jul 12, 2010)

I would code with Sepsis since early sepsis means sepsis. 

However for coding Sepsis, follow the ICD guidelines, it requires two codes - 038.X and 995.91.

Hope it helps.

Thank You,

Purnima S, CPC


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## vj_tiwari (Jul 12, 2010)

Hey,

I think 038.9, 995.91 is the appropriate coding for early sepsis.

Kindly refer the tabular list for coding sepsis as ... when you are going to code sepsis with acute organ failure then it's severe sepsis not the early and you've to consider coding sequence as 038.9, Acute organ failure & 995.92 (as for severe sepsis).

There is a diagram in Tabular list which shows how sepsis occurs. Hope this helps! 

VJ.


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