Sepsis, unspecified organism

This code represents a severe, life-threatening systemic response to infection where the specific causative microorganism has not been identified. It indicates a generalized inflammatory state impacting multiple organ systems due to an infectious process. The patient exhibits signs and symptoms of sepsis, but laboratory cultures or other diagnostic tests have not yet pinpointed the exact pathogen.

Use this code when documentation clearly states a diagnosis of sepsis, but the organism responsible for the infection is not specified. This is often an initial diagnosis when the patient presents acutely ill, and cultures are pending or negative despite strong clinical suspicion of sepsis. Supporting documentation includes physician notes diagnosing "sepsis, unspecified organism" or "sepsis NOS."

• Always strive for greater specificity if the organism is identified; this code should be a last resort when no other information is available.
• Code the underlying infection (e.g., pneumonia, UTI) first, if known, followed by sepsis.
• Do not use this code if the documentation specifies "severe sepsis" or "septic shock"; those conditions have their own distinct codes.