Other infective bursitis, unspecified hand

This code signifies an inflammatory condition of a bursa in the hand, caused by an infection, where the specific type of infection or the exact bursa involved is not documented. It indicates an infectious etiology for bursitis affecting the hand.

This code is appropriate when documentation specifies infective bursitis of the hand but lacks further detail regarding the specific bursa (e.g., carpal, metacarpal) or the causative organism. Use when the physician's notes indicate "infectious hand bursitis, site unspecified."

• Ensure the documentation clearly states "infective" or "septic" bursitis; otherwise, a non-infective bursitis code may be more appropriate.
• If the specific bursa in the hand is identified (e.g., carpal bursa), a more specific code within the M71.14- subcategory should be used.
• Always look for documentation of the infectious agent to potentially code an additional organism-specific infection code.