Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. It is a life-threatening medical emergency. Sepsis happens when an infection you already have — in your skin, lungs, urinary tract, or somewhere else — triggers a chain reaction throughout your body.
Without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Sepsis is a complication of an infection that can be contagious, but sepsis is not itself contagious. Most sepsis is caused by bacterial infections, but it can be a complication of other infections, including viral infections, such as COVID-19 or influenza.
To be diagnosed with sepsis, you must have a probable or confirmed infection and all of the following signs: change in mental status, a first (upper) number in a blood pressure reading — also called the systolic pressure — that’s less than or equal to 100 millimeters of mercury, and respiratory rate higher than or equal to 22 breaths a minute. Sepsis can progress to septic shock when certain changes in the circulatory system, the body’s cells, and how the body uses energy become more abnormal. Septic shock is more likely to cause death than sepsis is. To be diagnosed with septic shock, you must have a probable or confirmed infection and both of the following: the need for medication to maintain blood pressure greater than or equal to 65 millimeters of mercury and high levels of lactic acid in your blood (serum lactate) after you have received an adequate fluid replacement. Having too much lactic acid in your blood means that your cells aren’t using oxygen properly.
Early, aggressive treatment boosts your chances of surviving sepsis. People who have sepsis require close monitoring and treatment in a hospital intensive care unit. If you have sepsis or septic shock, lifesaving measures may be needed to stabilize breathing and heart function.A number of medications are used in treating sepsis and septic shock. They include antibiotics, intravenous fluids, and vasopressors. Other medications you may receive include low doses of corticosteroids, insulin to help maintain stable blood sugar levels, drugs that modify the immune system responses, and painkillers or sedatives. People who have sepsis often receive supportive care that includes oxygen. Depending on your condition, you may need to have a machine help you breathe. If your kidneys have been affected, you may need to have dialysis. Surgery may be needed to remove sources of infection, such as collections of pus, infected tissues, or gangrene.
The table below includes the most commonly used ICD-10 codes for sepsis:
| ICD-10 Chapter | Codes | Code Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A02.1 | Salmonella sepsis |
| 1 | A26.7 | Erysipelothrix sepsis |
| 1 | A32.7 | Listerial sepsis |
| 1 | A40.0 | Sepsis due to streptococcus, group A |
| 1 | A40.1 | Sepsis due to streptococcus, group B |
| 1 | A40.3 | Sepsis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae |
| 1 | A40.8 | Other streptococcal sepsis |
| 1 | A40.09 | Streptococcal sepsis, unspecified |
| 1 | A41.01 | Sepsis due to Methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus |
| 1 | A41.02 | Sepsis due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus |
| 1 | A41.1 | Sepsis due to other specified staphylococcus |
| 1 | A41.2 | Sepsis due to unspecified staphylococcus |
| 1 | A41.3 | Sepsis due to Hemophilus influenzae |
| 1 | A41.4 | Sepsis due to anaerobes |
| 1 | A41.50 | Gram-negative sepsis, unspecified |
| 1 | A41.51 | Sepsis due to Escherichia coli [E. coli] |
| 1 | A41.52 | Sepsis due to Pseudomonas |
| 1 | A41.53 | Sepsis due to Serratia |
| 1 | A41.59 | Other Gram-negative sepsis |
| 1 | A41.81 | Sepsis due to Enterococcus |
| 1 | A41.89 | Other specified sepsis |
| 1 | A41.9 | Sepsis, unspecified organism |
| 1 | A42.7 | Actinomycotic sepsis |
| 1 | A54.0 | Gonococcal sepsis |
| 15 | O86.04 | Sepsis following an obstetrical procedure |
| 16 | P36.0 | Sepsis of newborn due to streptococcus, group B |
| 16 | P36.10 | Sepsis of newborn due to unspecified streptococci |
| 16 | P36.19 | Sepsis of newborn due to other streptococci |
| 16 | P36.2 | Sepsis of newborn due to Staphylococcus aureus |
| 16 | P36.30 | Sepsis of newborn due to unspecified staphylococci |
| 16 | P36.39 | Sepsis of newborn due to other staphylococci |
| 16 | P36.4 | Sepsis of newborn due to Escherichia coli |
| 16 | P36.5 | Sepsis of newborn due to anaerobes |
| 16 | P36.8 | Other bacterial sepsis of newborn |
| 16 | P36.9 | Bacterial sepsis of newborn, unspecified |
Author: Tonoya Ahmed
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