Accidental poisoning by antibiotics

This code signifies an unintentional overdose or adverse reaction to antibiotic medications, resulting in toxic effects. It covers situations where an individual has inadvertently ingested too much of an antibiotic or experienced an unintended harmful effect from its administration.

Apply this code when documentation clearly indicates an accidental poisoning by an antibiotic, such as an accidental overdose by a child, an incorrect dosage administered by a caregiver, or an unexpected toxic reaction to a prescribed antibiotic. Supporting documentation should specify the antibiotic involved and the accidental nature of the poisoning.

• Always code the specific manifestation of the poisoning (e.g., acute renal failure, hepatic necrosis) first, followed by this external cause code.
• Distinguish carefully between accidental poisoning (E85.6) and adverse effects in therapeutic use (E930.0-E949.9), which are intentional drug administrations with an unexpected reaction.
• Ensure the documentation explicitly states "accidental" or "unintentional" to support the use of this code.