ICD10BillableValid for clinical use
ICD-10 Code A54.81: Gonococcal meningitis
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 gonococcal infection. The most accurate code depends on whether the documented gonococcal disease involves the lower or upper genitourinary tract, eye, musculoskeletal tissue, anus or rectum, heart, bloodstream, or another specified site.
When is it used?
- May be used when a clinician documents gonococcal meningitis 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
- Primary-care, urgent-care, emergency, infectious-disease, sexual-health, and follow-up documentation where gonococcal infection affects diagnosis, treatment planning, or partner-management counseling.
- Coding and utilization-review workflows where the chart identifies the exact gonococcal disease site or a more invasive manifestation such as cardiac involvement or sepsis.
Common management context
- Gonococcal infection follow-up often includes symptom review, specimen testing context, antimicrobial treatment planning, partner-management counseling, and screening for coinfections or complications.
- Documentation usually becomes more specific when the chart identifies the exact anatomic site, localized versus disseminated disease, abscess formation, ocular or musculoskeletal involvement, or systemic infection.
- Specialist context already linked on this page includes Infectious Disease Specialist, General Physician.
🔍Key distinctions
Important notes
- This ICD-10 family captures gonococcal infection across multiple anatomic sites, and the documented site or invasive manifestation is what usually drives final code specificity.
- Localized genitourinary disease, ocular disease, musculoskeletal disease, anorectal disease, cardiac involvement, sepsis, and unspecified gonococcal infection are coded separately from one another when the chart names the manifestation more clearly.
- Documentation that describes gonococcal infection is coded differently from chlamydial infection, nongonococcal urethritis, or other sexually transmitted infections when the organism or site is documented more clearly.
Related codes to consider
A54.82Gonococcal brain abscess
Related gonococcal ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies lower-genitourinary, ocular, musculoskeletal, anorectal, cardiac, septic, or other disseminated involvement.
A54.83Gonococcal heart infection
Related gonococcal ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies lower-genitourinary, ocular, musculoskeletal, anorectal, cardiac, septic, or other disseminated involvement.
A54.84Gonococcal pneumonia
Related gonococcal ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies lower-genitourinary, ocular, musculoskeletal, anorectal, cardiac, septic, or other disseminated involvement.
A54.85Gonococcal peritonitis
Related gonococcal ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies lower-genitourinary, ocular, musculoskeletal, anorectal, cardiac, septic, or other disseminated involvement.
Code hierarchy
chapter
1Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
block
A50-A64Infections with a predominantly sexual mode of transmission
category
A54Gonococcal infection
category
A54.8Other gonococcal infections
currentA54.8
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 87483high
INFECTIOUS AGENT DETECTION BY NUCLEIC ACID (DNA OR RNA); CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM PATHOGEN (EG, NEISSERIA MENINGITIDIS, STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE, LISTERIA, HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE, E. COLI, STREPTOCOCCUS AGALACTIAE, ENTEROVIRUS, HUMAN PARECHOVIRUS, HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE 1 AND 2, HUMAN HERPESVIRUS 6, CYTOMEGALOVIRUS, VARICELLA ZOSTER VIRUS, CRYPTOCOCCUS), INCLUDES MULTIPLEX REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION, WHEN PERFORMED, AND MULTIPLEX AMPLIFIED PROBE TECHNIQUE, MULTIPLE TYPES OR SUBTYPES, 12-25 TARGETS
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 72126high
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, CERVICAL SPINE; WITH CONTRAST MATERIAL
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 72125high
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, CERVICAL SPINE; WITHOUT CONTRAST MATERIAL
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 72127high
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, CERVICAL SPINE; WITHOUT CONTRAST MATERIAL, FOLLOWED BY CONTRAST MATERIAL(S) AND FURTHER SECTIONS
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 70460high
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, HEAD OR BRAIN; WITH CONTRAST MATERIAL(S)
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 70450high
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, HEAD OR BRAIN; WITHOUT CONTRAST MATERIAL
Source: CMS coverage guidance
Coding guidelines
Common synonyms
Gonococcal meningitis
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.