AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS - 2026 Issue 2; Ask the Editor

Pelvic Abscess in a Female Patient

A patient was admitted when she became septic and was noted to have acute diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon with perforation and a pelvic/intra-abdominal abscess. The patient underwent catheter placement for drainage. When referencing the ICD-10-CM Alphabetic Index for “Abscess, intra-abdominal,” there are instructions to “see also Abscess, peritoneum.” The entry for “Abscess, peritoneum, pelvic, female,” has instructions to see “Peritonitis, pelvic, female” which references code N73.3, Female acute pelvic peritonitis, which does not seem appropriate. What is the correct diagnosis code for an abscess that is described as pelvic/intra-abdominal in a female patient when there is no documentation of peritonitis and is not related to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)? ...

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