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B96.20

Billable

Unspecified Escherichia coli [E. coli] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere

This code does not map to an HCC category in any model (V28, V24, ESRD, RxHCC).

What This Code Means

This code indicates that E. coli bacteria caused a disease or infection in the patient, but the specific type of E. coli strain and the exact location or nature of the infection are not specified in the medical record. It is used as a secondary code to identify the causative organism when E. coli is responsible for another documented condition.

Coding Tips

  • This is a secondary code that should only be used when another primary diagnosis code documents the actual disease or infection caused by E. coli (such as urinary tract infection, pneumonia, or sepsis)
  • If the specific E. coli strain is documented (such as O157:H7 or Shiga toxin-producing), use the more specific B96.2x subcategory code instead of B96.20

Code Hierarchy

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