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2025 ICD-10-CM code B96.21

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere.

This code should never be used as the primary diagnosis.It is always a secondary code used to identify the infectious agent and should follow the code for the disease or condition caused by the STEC O157 infection.

Medical necessity for the services provided will be determined based on the primary diagnosis, the manifestations of the illness, and the treatment provided.The presence of STEC O157 infection (B96.21) supports the medical necessity of diagnostic testing and treatment related to the condition caused by the infection.

Clinicians should diagnose the underlying condition caused by STEC 0157 and use the appropriate ICD-10-CM code for that condition as the primary diagnosis.B96.21 should be used as a secondary code. Confirmation of STEC O157 infection is typically done through stool culture and/or PCR testing. Treatment depends upon the specific disease caused by STEC O157 but may include supportive care, fluid management, and monitoring for complications like hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).Antibiotics are generally not recommended for STEC O157 infections.

IMPORTANT:Use additional code to identify resistance to antimicrobial drugs (Z16.-). Do not use this code for carrier status (Z22.-) or if the infection complicates pregnancy, childbirth, or the puerperium (O98.-) or the perinatal period (P35-P39).Also, do not use for influenza or other acute respiratory infections (J00-J22). Consider B96.22 for other specified STEC and B96.23 for unspecified STEC.

In simple words: This code indicates that a person's illness is caused by a specific type of E. coli bacteria called STEC O157, which produces harmful toxins. This code is used in addition to the code for the specific illness caused by the bacteria.

This code identifies Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 as the cause of a disease classified elsewhere.It is used as a supplementary code to provide further detail about the causative agent of the primary condition.

Example 1: A patient presents with bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps.Stool culture confirms STEC O157 infection. The primary diagnosis is A04.3 (Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection), with B96.21 as a secondary code., A child develops HUS following a STEC O157 infection.The primary diagnosis is D59.3 (Hemolytic-uremic syndrome), with B96.21 as a secondary code to specify the causative organism., A patient with a confirmed STEC O157 infection develops acute kidney injury. The primary diagnosis would be the code for the specific type of acute kidney injury (e.g., N17.9 Acute kidney failure, unspecified), and B96.21 is used as a secondary code to specify the causative organism.

Documentation should include the diagnosis of the condition caused by the STEC O157 infection, supported by laboratory findings confirming the presence of the bacteria (e.g. positive stool culture or PCR test).

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