ICD SIRS, Septicemia, Sepsis

[Chaim]

I am reading the ICD-9 guidelines.

Just to make sure I have this understood:

Septicemia is when the entire body is infected due to a microorganism or toxin.

SIRS is the manifestation/s that arise from either insult or Septicemia.

And sepsis is SIRS when the manifestations are from septicemia.

Is this correct?

Thanks.

 

[Carolyn Heath]

I looked at the guideline C.1.b.1.a and I read exactly what you described. I would say that you are correct and you understood the guideline.

 

[Alicia Scott]

Yes that is correct. Another thing to note about Sepsis is that an organ failure is involved. This is an excellent study to work on. In fact I would like to see a good article on it if anyone is interested. This gets very confusing.

 

[Ruth Sheets]

Alicia covered this during the August 2014 Q&A Webinar. She described the differences of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, severe sepsis, septic shock, and septicemia. Did you know that the first mention of the word sepsis in a medical context was more than 2700 years ago in the poems of Homer? Or that, sepsis occurs in 1% to 2% of all hospitalizations in the US, affecting at least 750,000 persons and costing $17 billion per year to treat? Alicia often shares some interesting facts along with the straight-up medical / coding information!

Join the CCO Club if you would like to have the full transcript, answer sheets, access to the recording, and a chance to earn an AAPC CEU. You will also get access to all the available monthly Q&A webinar resources when you join the CCO Club!