Gonorrhea complicating childbirth

This code signifies the presence of a gonococcal infection in a patient during the postpartum period, specifically when it complicates the childbirth process. It indicates that gonorrhea has an adverse effect on the mother's health or recovery following delivery.

Use this code when documentation clearly states a diagnosis of gonorrhea in a patient who has recently given birth, and the infection is noted as a complication of that childbirth. This applies to conditions such as postpartum endometritis, salpingitis, or other infections directly attributed to gonorrhea occurring during the puerperium.

• Always sequence this code after the primary obstetric code for the delivery.
• Ensure documentation explicitly links the gonorrhea to a complication of childbirth, not just a co-existing condition.
• Do not use for gonorrhea diagnosed during pregnancy without evidence of complication during childbirth; refer to codes in the O98.21- series for those scenarios.