Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis, unspecified shoulder

This code signifies an acute bone infection originating from the bloodstream, affecting an unspecified shoulder joint. It indicates a sudden onset of inflammation and destruction of bone tissue due to bacterial or fungal invasion, without further specification of the exact shoulder involved.

Use this code when documentation clearly states acute hematogenous osteomyelitis of the shoulder, but does not specify whether it's the right or left shoulder. This diagnosis is typically supported by clinical signs of infection, imaging findings (e.g., X-ray, MRI showing bone changes), and positive blood cultures or bone biopsy results.

• Ensure documentation explicitly states "acute" and "hematogenous" to differentiate from chronic or other forms of osteomyelitis.
• If the specific shoulder (right or left) is documented, use the more specific codes M86.011 (right) or M86.012 (left).
• Always code any associated infectious organism (e.g., B95-B97) as an additional diagnosis, if identified.