2025 ICD-10-CM code R50.82
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified - Other specified fever 18 Feed
Postprocedural fever.
Medical necessity for the treatment of postprocedural fever must be established. The underlying cause and severity of the fever should be considered. The need for diagnostic testing or other interventions should be justified based on the patient's clinical presentation.
In simple words: A fever that occurs after a medical procedure.
Fever that develops following a medical or surgical procedure. It is important to distinguish postprocedural fever from fever caused by post-procedural infection, post-transfusion fever or post-vaccination fever.
Example 1: A patient develops a fever of 101.5°F two days after undergoing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. There are no other signs of infection, so R50.82 is used., A patient experiences a temperature of 100.8°F 24 hours after a colonoscopy. Blood cultures are negative, and the fever resolves within 48 hours. R50.82 is appropriate., A patient develops a low-grade fever (100.2°F) following a total hip replacement. Other causes, such as infection or reaction to blood products, have been ruled out. R50.82 is applied.
Documentation should clearly indicate the presence of a fever following a procedure. It should also exclude other potential causes of fever, such as infection, transfusion reaction, or drug reaction. The type of procedure performed and the temporal relationship between the procedure and the onset of fever should be documented.
** Postprocedural fever is a relatively common occurrence. Prompt diagnosis and management are crucial to prevent potential complications.
- Specialties:General surgery, Internal Medicine, various surgical subspecialties depending on the triggering procedure (e.g., orthopedics, cardiovascular surgery, etc.)
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, On Campus-Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center, and potentially others depending on the setting of the procedure and where the fever first manifests.