A54.42
Gonococcal arthritis
A54.42 (also written A5442) is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for gonococcal arthritis. It is part of the FY2027 code set, effective October 1, 2026. It is one of the 31 codes in category A54 (Gonococcal infection). The Alphabetic Index lists it under 6 entries. Its coding notes include a Use additional code instruction, 2 Excludes1 entries and 7 Excludes2 entries.
Use additional code
Add the listed code as a secondary code, if known.
Excludes1
Not coded here. The listed conditions generally should not be reported together.
Excludes2
Not included here. Both codes may be reported if the patient has both conditions.
- gonococcal infection of spine (A54.41)
Also from chapter/block level (6 notes)
- human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] disease (B20)
- carrier or suspected carrier of infectious disease (Z22.-)
- certain localized infections - see body system-related chapters
- infectious and parasitic diseases complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O98.-)
- infectious and parasitic diseases specific to the perinatal period (P35-P39)
- influenza and other acute respiratory infections (J00-J22)
Care settings
How CMS programs treat this code. These are CMS claim edits and list entries, not coverage or eligibility rules.
Home Health Primary
Accepted as the primary (principal) diagnosis on a home health claim. The Home Health Grouper assigns it to the Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation clinical group.
Source: CMS Home Health Grouper Software v07.2.26, effective October 1, 2026Hospital CC
Counts as a complication or comorbidity (CC) when reported as a secondary diagnosis on an inpatient claim. It does not count when the principal diagnosis is one of the 1,070 codes in its exclusion list. Some MS-DRGs also ignore a CC or MCC that defines the DRG.
Source: CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual v44, effective October 1, 2026, Appendix CIncludes
Further defines or gives examples of the content of the category.
Also from chapter/block level (1 note)
- diseases generally recognized as communicable or transmissible
Alphabetic Index terms
Terms the official Alphabetic Index lists for this code. 6 entries
- Arthritis, arthritic (acute) (chronic) (nonpyogenic) (subacute), blennorrhagic (gonococcal)
- Arthritis, arthritic (acute) (chronic) (nonpyogenic) (subacute), gonococcal
- Gonococcus, gonococcal (disease) (infection), joint
- Gonococcus, gonococcal (disease) (infection), musculoskeletal, arthritis
- Hydrarthrosis, gonococcal
- Periarthritis (joint), gonococcal