O85 vs O86.81
O85 (Puerperal sepsis) compared with O86.81 (Puerperal septic thrombophlebitis), 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. O85 carries an Excludes1 note covering O86.81: “puerperal septic thrombophlebitis (O86.81)”
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
| O85Puerperal sepsis | O86.81Puerperal septic thrombophlebitis | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Billable |
| Classification | O00-O9A — Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium (O00-O9A) | O00-O9A — Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium (O00-O9A) |
| Definition | Puerperal sepsis is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (O85). | Puerperal septic thrombophlebitis is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (O86.81). |
| 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 (B95-B97), to identify infectious agent |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources