Relapsing fever, unspecified

This code represents a systemic infectious disease characterized by recurrent episodes of fever, headache, muscle aches, and often splenomegaly, caused by spirochetes of the genus Borrelia. The "unspecified" nature indicates that the specific type of relapsing fever (e.g., louse-borne or tick-borne) is not documented.

Use this code when a patient presents with the classic symptoms of relapsing fever, and the medical record confirms the diagnosis but does not specify the mode of transmission or the causative Borrelia species. This code is appropriate when the physician's documentation explicitly states "relapsing fever, unspecified" or similar terminology without further detail.

• Avoid using this code if the documentation specifies louse-borne or tick-borne relapsing fever; use the more specific codes within the 087 series.
• Ensure the medical record clearly supports a diagnosis of relapsing fever, even if the type is unspecified.
• Consider sequencing this code as the primary diagnosis if it is the main reason for the encounter.