Salmonella pyelonephritis

This code identifies an infection of the kidney and renal pelvis specifically caused by Salmonella bacteria. Pyelonephritis is a serious urinary tract infection that can lead to kidney damage if not properly treated. The presence of Salmonella as the causative agent distinguishes this from other bacterial pyelonephritis.

Apply this code when documentation explicitly states pyelonephritis and laboratory results confirm Salmonella as the infectious organism. This typically occurs in patients presenting with fever, flank pain, dysuria, and positive urine cultures for Salmonella. It is crucial to have definitive microbiological identification.

• Ensure documentation specifies Salmonella as the causative agent; otherwise, use a more general pyelonephritis code.
• Do not confuse with other bacterial pyelonephritis codes (e.g., N10) unless Salmonella is ruled out.
• Consider sequencing with codes for underlying conditions or complications, such as sepsis, if present.