A54.42Gonococcal arthritis

A54.42 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for gonococcal arthritis. It belongs to category A54 (gonococcal infection), block A50-A64 (infections with a predominantly sexual mode of transmission) and chapter 1 (certain infectious and parasitic diseases). It is billable, so it can be reported on its own for dates of service from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Within A54.4 (gonococcal infection of musculoskeletal system), A54.42 is specifically for gonococcal arthritis. Related codes cover unspecified (A54.40), spondylopathy (A54.41), osteomyelitis (A54.43) and infection of other musculoskeletal tissue (A54.49).

The conditions in its Excludes2 note aren't part of A54.42, but may be coded alongside it if the patient has both: gonococcal infection of spine (A54.41).

As a secondary diagnosis it is a CC (complication or comorbidity), which can move an inpatient stay into the "with CC" MS-DRG of its family, unless the principal diagnosis excludes it.

In MS-DRG v44.0, it is part of the grouping logic for DRG 400 (Knee Procedures with Principal Diagnosis of Infection, relative weight 2.0248), DRG 548 (Septic Arthritis with MCC, relative weight 1.9519), DRG 549 (Septic Arthritis with CC, relative weight 1.1435) and DRG 550 (Septic Arthritis without CC/MCC, relative weight 0.8591), in MDC 08 (Diseases and Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue), as a principal or secondary diagnosis. The DRG a claim lands in depends on the principal diagnosis, procedures and any CC/MCC secondary diagnoses.

It has been part of ICD-10-CM since the code set took effect on October 1, 2015 and hasn't changed since.

Before ICD-10, this condition was coded in ICD-9-CM as 098.50 (gonococcal arthritis).