A49

Header — not billable

Bacterial infection of unspecified site

The ICD-10 code for bacterial infection of unspecified site is A49.

A49 is a non-billable header code. It groups related conditions but cannot be used on its own for reimbursement — select one of the 6 more specific codes below.

Clinical notes

Excludes1 (not coded here)

An Excludes1 note is a pure exclusion: the excluded condition and this code should never be reported together, because the two conditions cannot occur at the same time (e.g. a congenital form vs. an acquired form of the same disease).

bacterial agents as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere (B95-B96)
chlamydial infection NOS (A74.9)
meningococcal infection NOS (A39.9)
rickettsial infection NOS (A79.9)
spirochetal infection NOS (A69.9)

Documentation support

General coding-documentation guidance — not a substitute for payer-specific requirements or professional coding judgment.

•This is a non-billable header code. Documentation must support a more specific child code before this diagnosis can be reported on a claim.
•This code describes an unspecified presentation. If the medical record documents a more specific detail (e.g. laterality, type, or affected site), a more specific sibling code should be used instead — see Related codes below.
•Confirm the excluded condition(s) listed above are not also present — Excludes1 conditions cannot be coded together with this one.
•As a general rule, code to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation in the medical record.

A49

Clinical notes

Excludes1 (not coded here)

Documentation support

Child codes under A49

Related codes in this category