Resistance to unspecified beta lactam antibiotics

This code indicates that a patient's bacterial infection is resistant to a broad category of antibiotics known as beta-lactams, but the specific type of beta-lactam resistance has not been identified. This resistance prevents these common antibiotics from effectively treating the infection.

Use this code when laboratory testing confirms bacterial resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, but further specificity (e.g., penicillin, cephalosporin, carbapenem resistance) is not documented or available. It is appropriate when the provider has noted general beta-lactam resistance without specifying the drug class.

• Only assign this code when resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics is explicitly documented.
• Do not use if resistance to a specific beta-lactam antibiotic class (e.g., penicillin, cephalosporin) is known; use the more specific code.
• Always code the underlying infection first, followed by this resistance code as a secondary diagnosis.