Pathogens

The ICD10 buglist contains specific codes for a number of different bacteria, viruses, fungi/yeast, mycobacteria and miscellaneous types of organisms. The entire list can be found in category and subcategories: Template:ICD10 subcat collapsible

Pathogens are coded as their own diagnosis codes:

They are always entered as Combined ICD10 codes with an infection, but not all infections require pathogens. See Infections in ICD10 for more info.

Culture reports

see Lab and culture reports

The Structure of the Pathogen List

• There are categories for: Bacteria, Viruses, Fungi/Yeast, Mycobacteria, and Miscellaneous Organisms
• In what comes below, we must distinguish NOS from unknown.
  • NOS means that we do know the bug, but it's not in our list of specific bugs
  • Unknown means we assume that there IS in fact a bug, but we have no idea about it's actual identity.
• In each of those categories there are a number of specific bugs with their own codes (e.g. B95.3 is Strep pneumoniae)
• But obviously we can't list every bug of any type, so for each of those categories there is also a "wastebasket" code for "NOS". For example, if the bug is a specific bacteria but it's not in our list, then use Bacteria, NOS, etc. These are:
  • Bacteria, NOS
  • Virus, NOS
  • Fungus or yeast, NOS
  • Nontuberculous mycobacteria
  • Infectious organism, unknown
  • Infectious disease NOS OR for buglist organism NOS (when you don't have any idea even what type of bug it is)
    • This code does double duty, and see it's own Wiki page for more information. But it can be used as a pathogen, where it is used when that pathogen is known, but is not included in our list of specific pathogens, and also doesn't fit into one of the other wastebasket categories listed immediately above.
• Separate from these "wastebasket" codes representing when bug is known but not specifically listed, is the situation where it's believed there IS an infection but the bug was not identified at all. This can occur either because no cultures were sent, or those sent were all negative. In this case, use the code Infectious organism, unknown.

Special Codes

• Not an Infection (ICD10 pathogen alternative) - included for now, not sure yet if it will be used to cross check pathogens Template:ICD10.

Template:CCMDB Data Integrity Checks

See Infections in ICD10#CCDMB Data Integrity Checks

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Old coding

The pathogens are a list of possible entries that make up the sub-code for diagnoses categorized as Infection.

• Refer to: UPL - Universal Pathogen List, for a list of "bugs" we track.

• The pathogen subcodes are drawn from the table S_Pathogens table in CCMDB.mdb.

Culture reports (old)

Follow up all culture reports up to 5 days after discharge from unit. If pathogen is still not available then, enter Unknown Pathogen.

Special Codes

• No Culture Sent or Resulted
• Unknown Pathogen

Could someone please fill in specifics about how or when these are to be used? Specifically, if we know specific bugs, are there any that should be coded implicitly even if there are others (ie precedence rules)?

Coding when antibiotics are given but no cultures

If there is evidence of an ongoing infection, even if no further culture code the previous pathogen.

If no culture is sent then we choose the subcode No Culture Sent or Resulted