ICD10BillableValid for clinical use
ICD-10 Code A40.9: Streptococcal sepsis, unspecified
Reviewed by HealthAssure Clinical TeamUpdated 26 May 2026
What is this code?
ICD-10 codes are diagnosis classification codes used in healthcare records, reporting, coding workflows, and billing support. This code sits within the broader ICD-10 area for Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99).
đź“‹Clinical overview
This ICD-10 code is commonly used when documentation describes sepsis or a sepsis-related infectious syndrome. The most accurate code depends on the documented organism, whether severe sepsis or shock is present, and how specific the clinical record is.
When is it used?
- May be used when a clinician documents streptococcal sepsis, unspecified in a patient's medical record.
- May appear in hospital records, claims, referrals, and clinical documentation.
- This code can be used as a clinically usable diagnosis entry in standardized coding workflows.
What it does not mean
- A code alone does not explain severity, treatment plan, or outcome.
- A medical code should not be treated as a substitute for a doctor's diagnosis or advice.
đź©şClinical context
When commonly used
- Emergency, inpatient, and critical-care documentation where a systemic infection or sepsis syndrome is part of the active encounter.
- Hospital coding, utilization review, and discharge summaries where infection severity and causative-organism detail affect the final diagnosis code.
Common management context
- Sepsis workup and management often involve urgent laboratory review, cultures, fluid resuscitation context, antimicrobial treatment, and close monitoring.
- Documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies the organism, source of infection, organ dysfunction, or septic shock.
- Specialist context already linked on this page includes Infectious Disease Specialist, General Physician.
🔍Key distinctions
Important notes
- ICD-10 sepsis coding usually becomes more specific when the record identifies a causative organism or documents severe sepsis, septic shock, or organ dysfunction.
- Related infection-source codes may also matter when the chart separately documents the originating infection site or associated complications.
Related codes to consider
A40.0Sepsis due to streptococcus, group A
Related sepsis-family ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when organism, severity, or organ-dysfunction detail is present.
A40.1Sepsis due to streptococcus, group B
Related sepsis-family ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when organism, severity, or organ-dysfunction detail is present.
A40.3Sepsis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae
Related sepsis-family ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when organism, severity, or organ-dysfunction detail is present.
A40.8Other streptococcal sepsis
Related sepsis-family ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when organism, severity, or organ-dysfunction detail is present.
Code hierarchy
chapter
1Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
block
A30-A49Other bacterial diseases
category
A40Streptococcal sepsis
currentA40
Where you may see this code
You may see this code in hospital records, discharge summaries, insurance claims, encounter documentation, referrals, or other healthcare billing and coding records.
Related specialists
Infectious Disease SpecialistGeneral Physician
Related codes
Sibling codes
Coverage-related procedures and services
CPT 87154high
CULTURE, TYPING; IDENTIFICATION OF BLOOD PATHOGEN AND RESISTANCE TYPING, WHEN PERFORMED, BY NUCLEIC ACID (DNA OR RNA) PROBE, MULTIPLEXED AMPLIFIED PROBE TECHNIQUE INCLUDING MULTIPLEX REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION, WHEN PERFORMED, PER CULTURE OR ISOLATE, 6 OR MORE TARGETS
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 0142Uhigh
INFECTIOUS DISEASE (BACTERIA AND FUNGI), GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIAL IDENTIFICATION AND DRUG RESISTANCE ELEMENT DETECTION, DNA (21 GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIAL TARGETS, 6 RESISTANCE GENES, 1 PAN GRAM-POSITIVE BACTERIAL TARGET, 1 PAN CANDIDA TARGET), AMPLIFIED PROBE TECHNIQUE, EACH TARGET REPORTED AS DETECTED OR NOT DETECTED
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 0141Uhigh
INFECTIOUS DISEASE (BACTERIA AND FUNGI), GRAM-POSITIVE ORGANISM IDENTIFICATION AND DRUG RESISTANCE ELEMENT DETECTION, DNA (20 GRAM-POSITIVE BACTERIAL TARGETS, 4 RESISTANCE GENES, 1 PAN GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIAL TARGET, 1 PAN CANDIDA TARGET), BLOOD CULTURE, AMPLIFIED PROBE TECHNIQUE, EACH TARGET REPORTED AS DETECTED OR NOT DETECTED
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 0140Uhigh
INFECTIOUS DISEASE (FUNGI), FUNGAL PATHOGEN IDENTIFICATION, DNA (15 FUNGAL TARGETS), BLOOD CULTURE, AMPLIFIED PROBE TECHNIQUE, EACH TARGET REPORTED AS DETECTED OR NOT DETECTED
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 93319high
3D ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC IMAGING AND POSTPROCESSING DURING TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, OR DURING TRANSTHORACIC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY FOR CONGENITAL CARDIAC ANOMALIES, FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF CARDIAC STRUCTURE(S) (EG, CARDIAC CHAMBERS AND VALVES, LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE, INTERATRIAL SEPTUM, INTERVENTRICULAR SEPTUM) AND FUNCTION, WHEN PERFORMED (LIST SEPARATELY IN ADDITION TO CODE FOR ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC IMAGING)
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 76376high
3D RENDERING WITH INTERPRETATION AND REPORTING OF COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING, ULTRASOUND, OR OTHER TOMOGRAPHIC MODALITY WITH IMAGE POSTPROCESSING UNDER CONCURRENT SUPERVISION; NOT REQUIRING IMAGE POSTPROCESSING ON AN INDEPENDENT WORKSTATION
Source: CMS coverage guidance
Mapped diagnoses and classifications
Coding guidelines
Compatibility
Legacy and official ICD code match exactly.
Legacy codes
A40.9
Common synonyms
Streptococcal sepsis, unspecifiedStreptococcal sepsis
Frequently asked questions
About this content
This page is prepared by HealthAssure's clinical team using official coding standards from ICD-10. AI tools assist with drafting explanations, which are then reviewed and verified by healthcare professionals for accuracy. This content is for informational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice. Meet our team.