A04.72 — Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile, not specified as recurrent
Is A04.72 billable?
Yes — A04.72 is billable for FY2027. A04.72 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. A04.72 may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
A04.72 at a glance
| Code | A04.72 |
|---|---|
| Description | Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile, not specified as recurrent |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does A04.72 group to?
A04.72 sits in MDC 06 and helps define the logic of 3 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 371Major Gastrointestinal Disorders and Peritoneal Infections with MCCmedical
- 372Major Gastrointestinal Disorders and Peritoneal Infections with CCmedical
- 373Major Gastrointestinal Disorders and Peritoneal Infections without CC/MCCmedical
As a secondary diagnosis, A04.72 is a complication or comorbidity (CC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.
How is A04.72 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to A04.72. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Colitis › Clostridioides difficile › not specified as recurrent (acute) (catarrhal) (chronic) (noninfective) (hemorrhagic)
- Colitis › Clostridium difficile › not specified as recurrent (acute) (catarrhal) (chronic) (noninfective) (hemorrhagic)
- Colitis › pseudomembranous › not specified as recurrent (acute) (catarrhal) (chronic) (noninfective) (hemorrhagic)
- Enteritis › Clostridioides difficile › not specified as recurrent (acute) (diarrheal) (hemorrhagic) (noninfective)
- Enterocolitis › pseudomembranous › not specified as recurrent
- Diarrhea, diarrheal › due to › Clostridium difficile › not specified as recurrent (disease) (infantile) (inflammatory)
- Enteritis › Clostridium › difficile › not specified as recurrent (acute) (diarrheal) (hemorrhagic) (noninfective)
- Enterocolitis › due to › Clostridioides difficile › not specified as recurrent
- Enterocolitis › due to › Clostridium difficile › not specified as recurrent
- Colitis › toxic NEC › due to › Clostridioides difficile › not specified as recurrent (acute) (catarrhal) (chronic) (noninfective) (hemorrhagic)
- Colitis › toxic NEC › due to › Clostridium difficile › not specified as recurrent (acute) (catarrhal) (chronic) (noninfective) (hemorrhagic)
- Enteritis › infectious NOS › due to › Clostridioides difficile › not specified as recurrent (acute) (diarrheal) (hemorrhagic) (noninfective)
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from A04
The conditions below can never be reported together with A04.72 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Use additional code — inherited from Chapter 1
Report an additional code alongside A04.72 to fully describe the condition. A04.72 is sequenced first.
- code to identify resistance to antimicrobial drugs (Z16.-)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 1
The conditions below are not part of A04.72, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, A04.72 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- carrier or suspected carrier of infectious disease (Z22.-)
- certain localized infections - see body system-related chapters
- infectious and parasitic diseases complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O98.-)
- infectious and parasitic diseases specific to the perinatal period (P35-P39)
- influenza and other acute respiratory infections (J00-J22)
How long has A04.72 existed?
A04.72 first appears in FY2018 (FY2017 is not available, so it may have appeared then).
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.