O85 vs O88
O85 and O88 can never be reported together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note, meaning the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient — so exactly one of them is correct for any given encounter.
The official note, declared on O85
obstetric pyemic and septic embolism (O88.3-)
O85
Puerperal sepsis
Billable
- Chapter 15
- Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium
- Section
- O85-O92
Use when the record says
- Postpartum sepsis
- Puerperal peritonitis
- Puerperal pyemia
Indexed under
- Pelviperitonitis › puerperal
- Peritonitis › puerperal, postpartum, childbirth (adhesive) (bacterial) (fibrinous) (hemorrhagic) (idiopathic) (localized) (perforative) (primary) (with adhesions) (with effusion)
- Puerperal, puerperium › metroperitonitis (complicated by, complications)
- Puerperal, puerperium › parametritis (complicated by, complications)
- Puerperal, puerperium › pelviperitonitis (complicated by, complications)
Excludes1 is not always absolute: where two conditions covered by the note are genuinely unrelated, CMS guidance permits reporting both. Document the reasoning rather than assuming it. More on Excludes1 vs Excludes2 · FY2027