Scarlet fever

This code represents scarlet fever, an acute infectious disease caused by toxigenic strains of Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Strep). It is characterized by a distinctive rash, fever, and pharyngitis, often following a streptococcal throat infection.

Assign this code when documentation clearly indicates a diagnosis of scarlet fever, typically supported by clinical presentation (e.g., scarlatiniform rash, strawberry tongue), a positive rapid strep test or throat culture, and systemic symptoms. This code is appropriate for both initial and subsequent encounters for the active infection.

• Do not code streptococcal pharyngitis (034.0) concurrently unless it is a separate, distinct encounter or condition.
• Ensure documentation specifies "scarlet fever" and not just a general streptococcal infection.
• Consider sequencing with any associated complications, such as rheumatic fever (390) or acute glomerulonephritis (583.x), if present.