A03.3

What This Code Means

This is a bacterial infection of the intestines caused by a specific type of bacteria called Shigella sonnei, which typically causes diarrhea and abdominal cramping. It spreads through contaminated food or water and is contagious from person to person.

Coding Tips

• •Verify the specific Shigella species is documented as sonnei in the medical record; other Shigella species have different codes (A03.0, A03.1, A03.2)
• •This code includes the causative organism, so do not separately code for the organism; document severity and any complications (dehydration, sepsis) with additional codes if present