# Types of sepsis



## rmickalich (Aug 5, 2010)

How would this be coded: Severe sepsis with positive streptococcal & enterococcus
  (038.11 + 038.0, 995.9x)?  Can I use more than one infectious code?

2nd Question:  What is the code for gram-positive sepsis?


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## preserene (Aug 9, 2010)

Severe Sepsis and Sepsis codes –Gram Positives Vs Gram Negatives:
Severe Sepsis, sepsis and SIRS have a great coding rules .You would have to go to the guidelines to do it correctly.  Depending upon the sepsis or severe sepsis was present at the time of admission or not, documented , document unclear and so on criteria are there  and for sequencing  them which is to be Primary /secondary and so on. Well you would have to assign the systemic infection code 995.91 0r 995.92 according to  sepsis or severe sepsis.

*A code should also be asigned for any localized infection,if present*
As per the coding of your both organisms you would have to . The enterococcus  usually a commansal of GIT and  as 'opportunistic Pathogen', it can be  a cause for local infection . Septicemia due to enterococcus is very rare than the streptococcus, which is a most prevalent and commonest gram positive organism to cause Severe Sepsis and Septicemia.  It is most likely the enterococcal infection is selfevolved from the patient / hospital nosocommial  in origin and most likely a local infection
So you would have to assign three codes depending upon your doctors document.
Q.2) The gram positive organisms are those which stain methylene blue in Grams stain technique in the smear.  To mention some of them- Streptococcus, staphylococcus, enterococcus, Pneumococcus, bacillus, Cornebacterium diphtheroids, Listeria moncytogenes, and some of the anerobes like Clostridium group, actinobacteria, Nocardia etc
The gram Positive Septicemia is rarer than the Gram Negative ones and the complications like Septic shock and DIVC like severe complications are common with gram negatives. But the gram positive Methicillin Resistant Staph  aureus MRSA,is notorious for the infection ,and producing sever sepsis and septicemia.
I hope my note is useful to some extent.


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## dmcbass (Apr 6, 2012)

*Sepsis Staph Aureus?*

Dr states patient has complication with catheter do to Staph Aureus and bactremia infection. No where does he state Sepsis at the end of procedure they did send to microbiology for clarification. Would you code this as Sepsis or infection Staph Aureus with bactremia?


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