Plasmodium falciparum malaria, unspecified

This code signifies a diagnosis of malaria caused specifically by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, without further specification of complications or manifestations. P. falciparum malaria is the most severe form of malaria, often leading to life-threatening complications if untreated.

This code is appropriate when documentation confirms a diagnosis of P. falciparum malaria, but the medical record does not provide details regarding specific organ involvement (e.g., cerebral malaria, severe anemia, renal failure). It is used when the physician's diagnosis explicitly states "falciparum malaria" without further clinical specificity.

• Always seek further specificity if available in the documentation to code to a more precise subcategory (e.g., B50.0 for cerebral P. falciparum malaria).
• Do not use this code if the malaria is due to a different Plasmodium species (e.g., P. vivax, P. ovale).
• Code any associated complications (e.g., anemia, acute kidney injury) separately in addition to the malaria code.