A41.9 — Sepsis, unspecified organism

A41.9

ICD-10 Chapter 1: Infectious & Parasitic Diseases — illustrative image
Chapter 1: Infectious and parasitic diseases (A00–B99) — illustrative image

What this code means

Sepsis is the body's overwhelming, life-threatening response to an infection, which can lead to organ failure.

Also called: sepsis, septicaemia, blood poisoning.

When this code is used

Used when sepsis is diagnosed but the causative organism is not specified.

Where it sits in ICD-10-CM

Code A41.9 belongs to Chapter 1: Infectious and parasitic diseases, which covers codes A00–B99 in the FY2027 ICD-10-CM tabular list. The official description above is copied verbatim from the CDC/NCHS FY2027 code file.

Related symptoms

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Frequently asked questions

What is ICD-10-CM code A41.9?

A41.9 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for “Sepsis, unspecified organism”. Sepsis is the body's overwhelming, life-threatening response to an infection, which can lead to organ failure.

When is code A41.9 used?

Used when sepsis is diagnosed but the causative organism is not specified. It belongs to Chapter 1 of ICD-10-CM (Infectious and parasitic diseases).

This guide explains ICD-10-CM codes in plain language for patients, students and other readers. It is educational information only — not coding, billing or medical advice. The code recorded for any real encounter is assigned from the full clinical documentation by the treating team and qualified coders, and only they can decide which code fits a specific case.

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