Chronic rheumatic pericarditis

This code represents a persistent inflammation of the pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart) that is a direct consequence of rheumatic fever. It signifies a long-standing or recurrent inflammatory process affecting the pericardial layers, specifically linked to a history of rheumatic disease.

Use this code when documentation clearly indicates chronic pericarditis with an explicit causal link to rheumatic fever. This typically applies to patients with a known history of rheumatic fever who present with ongoing or recurrent pericardial inflammation, often evidenced by pericardial thickening, effusions, or adhesions.

• Ensure the documentation explicitly states "rheumatic" to differentiate from other forms of chronic pericarditis.
• Do not code this with non-rheumatic chronic pericarditis (I31.-) as per the Excludes1 note.
• Look for a history of rheumatic fever or other rheumatic heart conditions in the patient's record to support the rheumatic etiology.