O85Puerperal sepsis

O85 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for puerperal sepsis. It belongs to block O85-O92 (complications predominantly related to the puerperium) and chapter 15 (pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium). It is billable, so it can be reported on its own for dates of service from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Don't report O85 together with the conditions in its Excludes1 note: fever of unknown origin following delivery (O86.4), obstetric pyemic and septic embolism (O88.3-) and puerperal septic thrombophlebitis (O86.81).

The conditions in its Excludes2 note aren't part of O85, but may be coded alongside it if the patient has both: genital tract infection following delivery (O86.1-), sepsis during labor (O75.3) and urinary tract infection following delivery (O86.2-).

Use an additional code (B95-B97), to identify infectious agent. Use an additional code (R65.2-) to identify severe sepsis, if applicable.

As a secondary diagnosis it is an MCC (major complication or comorbidity), which can move an inpatient stay into the highest-paying "with MCC" 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 769 (Postpartum and Post Abortion Diagnoses with O.R. Procedures, relative weight 1.6673) and DRG 776 (Postpartum and Post Abortion Diagnoses without O.R. Procedures, relative weight 0.6721), in MDC 14 (Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium), as a principal or secondary diagnosis. The DRG a claim lands in depends on the principal diagnosis, procedures and any CC/MCC secondary diagnoses.

The Medicare Code Editor treats this as a maternity diagnosis, expected only for patients age 9 through 64.

It is on the CMS list of diagnoses consistent only with female patients (the sex-conflict edit itself was retired in FY2025).

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 670.22 (puerperal sepsis, delivered, with mention of postpartum complication) and 670.24 (puerperal sepsis, postpartum condition or complication).