J15.212 is the authoritative medical code for Pneumonia due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This classification is used in medical billing and clinical recording to specify the clinical criteria for pneumonia due to methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (ICD-10-CM J15.212), ensuring healthcare documentation aligns with 2026 federal coding standards.
Billing Status: YES. This is a valid, specific, and billable ICD-10-CM reference.
Official Registry Overview & Definition
Pneumonia due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code J15.212. Includes: bronchopneumonia due to bacteria other than S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae. Excludes1 (not coded here): chlamydial pneumonia J16.0; congenital pneumonia P23.-; Legionnaires' disease A48.1; spirochetal pneumonia A69.8. Excludes2 (not included here): allergic or eosinophilic pneumonia J82; aspiration pneumonia NOS J69.0; meconium pneumonia P24.01; neonatal aspiration pneumonia P24.-; pneumonia due to solids and liquids J69.-; congenital pneumonia P23.9; lipid pneumonia J69.1; rheumatic pneumonia I00; ventilator associated pneumonia J95.851. Code first: , if applicable, associated influenza (J09.X1, J10.0-, J11.0-). Use additional code: code, if applicable, to identify resistance to antimicrobial drugs Z16.-. Code also: , if applicable, any associated condition such as:; abscess J85.1; aspiration pneumonia J69.-.
Official Tabular Instructional Notes
Sequencing, inclusion, and exclusion notes published for J15.212 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list.
Includes
Conditions the official ICD-10-CM tabular list includes under this code.
- bronchopneumonia due to bacteria other than S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae
Excludes1 — Not Coded Here
Conditions that can never be reported with this code; the two are mutually exclusive.
- chlamydial pneumonia J16.0
- congenital pneumonia P23.-
- Legionnaires' disease A48.1
- spirochetal pneumonia A69.8
Excludes2 — Not Included Here
Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.
- allergic or eosinophilic pneumonia J82
- aspiration pneumonia NOS J69.0
- meconium pneumonia P24.01
- neonatal aspiration pneumonia P24.-
- pneumonia due to solids and liquids J69.-
- congenital pneumonia P23.9
- lipid pneumonia J69.1
- rheumatic pneumonia I00
- ventilator associated pneumonia J95.851
Code First
Underlying conditions that must be sequenced before this code.
- , if applicable, associated influenza (J09.X1, J10.0-, J11.0-)
Code Also
Additional codes that may be required to fully describe the encounter.
- , if applicable, any associated condition such as:
- abscess J85.1
- aspiration pneumonia J69.-
Use Additional Code
Supplementary codes the tabular list directs you to add.
- code, if applicable, to identify resistance to antimicrobial drugs Z16.-
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Clinical Guidance
What can't be coded together with J15.212?
Per Excludes1 instructions, J15.212 must not be reported with: chlamydial pneumonia (J16.0); congenital pneumonia (P23.-); Legionnaires' disease (A48.1); spirochetal pneumonia (A69.8).
Can J15.212 be reported alongside related conditions?
Per Excludes2 instructions, J15.212 and the following may both be reported when both are present: allergic or eosinophilic pneumonia (J82); aspiration pneumonia NOS (J69.0); meconium pneumonia (P24.01); neonatal aspiration pneumonia (P24.-).
Does J15.212 need to be sequenced after another code?
Yes. Code first: , if applicable, associated influenza (J09.X1, J10.0-, J11.0-).
Is an additional code needed with J15.212?
Use additional code(s) to specify: code, if applicable, to identify resistance to antimicrobial drugs (Z16.-).
Codes in This Family (17)
Official ICD-10-CM classifications in the same code family as J15.212, with their registry titles.
- J15 — Bacterial pneumonia, not elsewhere classified
- J15.0 — Pneumonia due to Klebsiella pneumoniae
- J15.1 — Pneumonia due to Pseudomonas
- J15.2 — Pneumonia due to staphylococcus
- J15.20 — Pneumonia due to staphylococcus, unspecified
- J15.21 — Pneumonia due to staphylococcus aureus
- J15.211 — Pneumonia due to Methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus
- J15.29 — Pneumonia due to other staphylococcus
- J15.3 — Pneumonia due to streptococcus, group B
- J15.4 — Pneumonia due to other streptococci
- J15.5 — Pneumonia due to Escherichia coli
- J15.6 — Pneumonia due to other Gram-negative bacteria
- J15.61 — Pneumonia due to Acinetobacter baumannii
- J15.69 — Pneumonia due to other Gram-negative bacteria
- J15.7 — Pneumonia due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae
- J15.8 — Pneumonia due to other specified bacteria
- J15.9 — Unspecified bacterial pneumonia
Indexed Clinical Terms (3)
Clinical term phrases from the official ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries that map to this code.
- Pneumonia (acute) (double) (migratory) (purulent) (septic) (unresolved), in (due to), Staphylococcus, aureus (methicillin susceptible) (MSSA), methicillin resistant (MRSA)
- Pneumonia (acute) (double) (migratory) (purulent) (septic) (unresolved), MRSA (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
- Pneumonia (acute) (double) (migratory) (purulent) (septic) (unresolved), staphylococcal (broncho) (lobar), aureus (methicillin susceptible) (MSSA), methicillin resistant (MRSA)
Related Codes & Numerical Sequence (Crawl Map)
Search engines and indexers are advised to traverse adjacent medical codes in this sub-chapter range to find correlated diagnoses or therapeutic procedures: