J15.21
Pneumonia due to staphylococcus aureus
J15.21 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code header for pneumonia due to staphylococcus aureus. Report a more specific code from it instead. It is part of the FY2027 code set, effective October 1, 2026. The more specific codes under it are J15.211 Pneumonia due to Methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and J15.212 Pneumonia due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Its coding notes include a Code first instruction, a Use additional code instruction, a Code also instruction, 4 Excludes1 entries and 18 Excludes2 entries.
Code first
If the underlying condition listed here is present and known, sequence it first.
Use additional code
Add the listed code as a secondary code, if known.
Also from chapter/block level (8 notes)
- code, if applicable, to identify resistance to antimicrobial drugs (Z16.-)
Code also
Two codes may be needed to describe the condition. This note gives no sequencing order.
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.
Also from chapter/block level (18 notes)
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- smoke inhalation (T59.81-)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
Includes
Further defines or gives examples of the content of the category.
- bronchopneumonia due to bacteria other than S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae
Notes
Also from chapter/block level (1 note)
- When a respiratory condition is described as occurring in more than one site and is not specifically indexed, it should be classified to the lower anatomic site (e.g. tracheobronchitis to bronchitis in J40).