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Compare/K65 vs O85

K65 vs O85

K65 (Peritonitis) 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. K65 carries an Excludes1 note covering O85: “puerperal peritonitis (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

K65PeritonitisO85Puerperal sepsis
Billing statusNon-billable header

Report instead: K65.0, K65.1, K65.2, K65.3, K65.4

Billable
ClassificationK00-K95 — Diseases of the Digestive System (K00-K95)O00-O9A — Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium (O00-O9A)
DefinitionPeritonitis is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (K65).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, if known
code (B95-B97), to identify infectious agent
code (R65.2-) to identify severe sepsis, if applicable

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources