Meningitis ICD-10-CM Codes

Read this short guide to learn about Meningitis ICD codes you can use.

By Ashleigh Knowles on Jun 16, 2024.

Fact Checked by Nate Lacson.

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Table of content

What Meningitis ICD codes can I use?Are these Meningitis ICD codes billable?Clinical information about Meningitis Synonyms include FAQS

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What Meningitis ICD codes can I use?

There are many Meningitis ICD codes to choose from, so here are six examples of such codes you can use:

A01.01 - Typhoid meningitis

This is meant to be used on a patient confirmed to be afflicted with meningitis due to having Typhoid Fever.

A02.21 - Salmonella meningitis

This is meant to be used on a patient confirmed to be afflicted with meningitis due to a salmonella infection.

A17.0 - Tuberculous meningitis

This is meant to be used on a patient confirmed to be afflicted with meningitis due to mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria in the meninges.

A20.3 - Plague meningitis

This is meant to be used on a patient confirmed to be afflicted with rare meningitis that springs from the presence of Yersinia pestis bacteria in the meninges.

A32.11 - Listerial meningitis

This is meant to be used on a patient confirmed to be afflicted with a rare kind of meningitis caused by a listeria infection.

A39.0 - Meningococcal meningitis

This is meant to be used on a patient confirmed to be afflicted with meningitis caused by N. meningitidis bacteria.

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Are these Meningitis ICD codes billable?

Yes. All of the aforementioned Meningitis-related ICD-10 codes are valid and billable.

Clinical information about Meningitis:

Meningitis is the term healthcare professionals use when referring to the inflammation of the meninges. The meninges are membranes that form a protective lining containing nerves, blood vessels, and protective fluids, all of which provide structure and support to our brains and spinal cords. It also works to protect them from injury.

Those with meningitis will likely have the following symptoms:

They might have a high fever
They will feel nauseated and may vomit
They will feel dazed and confused
They might become sensitive to light
They might have a severe headache
They might become lethargic and constantly sleeping
They might be difficult to wake
They might have rashes

It’s best for healthcare professionals to immediately examine a patient for meningitis if they have several of these symptoms because meningitis is life-threatening and may give rise to unwanted complications.

Synonyms include:

Meningitis due to typhoid fever
Salmonella meningitis
Tuberculosis of meninges
Plague meningitis
Listeria meningitis
Meningitis caused by gram-negative aerobic coccus
Meningococcal meningitis

Commonly asked questions

What are other types of meningitis besides the ones listed above?

The ones listed above are primarily bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is the most common type of meningitis. Other types include viral meningitis, fungal meningitis, parasitic meningitis, and drug-induced aseptic meningitis. Meningitis can either be acute (it suddenly emerges and the symptoms are severe) or chronic (if it lasts longer than a month).

You mentioned that meningitis is life-threatening. What complications can it cause to patients?

Brain damage is one example. Another would be sepsis, which, if not addressed immediately, can damage tissues, blood vessels, and organs, all of which could lead to death. If you notice that a patient has rashes on their skin, that’s a sign of sepsis caused by bacterial meningitis.

How do healthcare professionals treat meningitis?

That depends on the type of meningitis that they’re dealing with. For bacterial meningitis, antibiotics will be used. If it’s viral, then antivirals will be used. If it’s fungal, then antifungals will be used.

Since meningitis is an inflammation, professionals will also administer corticosteroids to treat the inflammation.

To reduce the risk of getting meningitis, at least the bacterial and viral kinds, it’s best to recommend to your patient to get vaccinated.