A03.0

What This Code Means

A bacterial infection of the intestines caused by Shigella dysenteriae bacteria, which causes severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. This is a contagious foodborne or waterborne illness that spreads through contaminated food or water.

Coding Tips

• •Verify the specific Shigella species (dysenteriae) is documented in the medical record before assigning this code, as different Shigella species have different codes (A03.1, A03.2, A03.3, A03.9)
• •This code includes the causative organism, so do not separately code for the bacterial agent; document the clinical presentation (diarrhea, dysentery) with appropriate additional codes if needed