A40 vs O85
A40 (Streptococcal sepsis) compared with O85 (Puerperal sepsis), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.
Can these codes be reported together?
No — do not report together. A40 carries an Excludes1 note covering O85: “puerperal sepsis (O85)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
Side by side
| A40Streptococcal sepsis | O85Puerperal sepsis | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header | Billable |
| Classification | A00-B99 — Certain Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (A00-B99) | O00-O9A — Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium (O00-O9A) |
| Definition | Streptococcal sepsis is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (A40). | Puerperal sepsis is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (O85). |
| Includes | — | Postpartum sepsis Puerperal peritonitis Puerperal pyemia |
| Use additional code | — | code (B95-B97), to identify infectious agent code (R65.2-) to identify severe sepsis, if applicable |
| Code first | , if applicable, postprocedural sepsis (T81.44-) sepsis due to central venous catheter (T80.211-) | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources