Resistance to multiple antimicrobial drugs

This diagnosis code indicates that a patient's infection is resistant to several different types of antimicrobial medications, encompassing more than just antibiotics. This broad resistance makes the infection challenging to treat with standard drug regimens. It signifies a significant public health concern due to limited treatment options.

Use this code when laboratory testing confirms resistance to multiple classes of antimicrobial drugs, such as antifungals, antivirals, or antiprotozoals, in addition to or instead of antibiotics. This code is appropriate for documenting the presence of a multi-drug resistant organism identified through culture and sensitivity results. It should be assigned as a secondary diagnosis to the underlying infection.

• Ensure documentation clearly specifies resistance to multiple antimicrobial drug classes, not solely antibiotics.
• Always code the underlying infection first, with this code as a secondary diagnosis.
• Refer to the Excludes1 note to differentiate from resistance specifically to multiple antibiotics (Z16.24).