Z16
Resistance to antimicrobial drugs
Z16 is a non-billable ICD-10-CM code category for resistance to antimicrobial drugs. 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 Z16.1 Resistance to beta lactam antibiotics, Z16.2 Resistance to other antibiotics and Z16.3 Resistance to other antimicrobial drugs. Its coding notes include a Code first instruction and 3 Excludes1 entries.
Guidelines tip
From the FY2027 Official Guidelines. ICD10Ref adds no rules of its own.
A Z16 code follows the infection code only if the infection code does not itself identify drug resistance.
Code first
If the underlying condition listed here is present and known, sequence it first.
- the infection
Excludes1
Not coded here. The listed conditions generally should not be reported together.
Notes
- The codes in this category are provided for use as additional codes to identify the resistance and non-responsiveness of a condition to antimicrobial drugs.
Also from chapter/block level (3 notes)
- Z codes represent reasons for encounters. A corresponding procedure code must accompany a Z code if a procedure is performed. Categories Z00-Z99 are provided for occasions when circumstances other than a disease, injury or external cause classifiable to categories A00-Y89 are recorded as 'diagnoses' or 'problems'. This can arise in two main ways:
- (a) When a person who may or may not be sick encounters the health services for some specific purpose, such as to receive limited care or service for a current condition, to donate an organ or tissue, to receive prophylactic vaccination (immunization), or to discuss a problem which is in itself not a disease or injury.
- (b) When some circumstance or problem is present which influences the person's health status but is not in itself a current illness or injury.