2022 ICD-10-CM Code A04.7

Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile

Version 2021

Not Valid for Submission

Short Description:Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile
Long Description:Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile

Code Classification

  • Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00–B99)
    • Intestinal infectious diseases (A00-A09)
      • Other bacterial intestinal infections (A04)

A04.7 is a non-specific and non-billable diagnosis code code, consider using a code with a higher level of specificity for a diagnosis of enterocolitis due to clostridium difficile. The code is not specific and is NOT valid for the year 2022 for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions. Category or Header define the heading of a category of codes that may be further subdivided by the use of 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th characters.

Specific Coding for Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile

Non-specific codes like A04.7 require more digits to indicate the appropriate level of specificity. Consider using any of the following ICD-10 codes with a higher level of specificity when coding for enterocolitis due to clostridium difficile:

  • BILLABLE CODE - Use A04.71 for Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile, recurrent
  • BILLABLE CODE - Use A04.72 for Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile, not specified as recurrent

Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries


Inclusion Terms

Inclusion Terms

Information for Patients

C. diff Infections

What is C. diff?

C. diff is a bacterium that can cause diarrhea and more serious intestinal conditions such as colitis. You may see it called other names - Clostridioides difficile (the new name), Clostridium difficile (an older name), and C. difficile. It causes close to half a million illnesses each year.

What causes C. diff infections?

C. diff bacteria are commonly found in the environment, but people usually only get C. diff infections when they are taking antibiotics. That's because antibiotics not only wipe out bad germs, they also kill the good germs that protect your body against infections. The effect of antibiotics can last as long as several months. If you come in contact with C. diff germs during this time, you can get sick. You are more likely to get a C. diff infection if you take antibiotics for more than a week.

C. diff spreads when people touch food, surfaces, or objects that are contaminated with feces (poop) from a person who has C. diff.

Who is at risk for C. diff infections?

You are at more likely to get a C. diff infection if you

What are the symptoms of C. diff infections?

The symptoms of C. diff infections include

Severe diarrhea causes you to lose a lot of fluids. This can put you at risk for dehydration.

How are C. diff infections diagnosed?

If you have been taking antibiotics recently and have symptoms of a C. diff infection, you should see your health care provider. Your provider will ask about your symptoms and do a lab test of your stool. In some cases, you might also need an imaging test to check for complications.

What are the treatments for C. diff infections?

Certain antibiotics can treat C. diff infections. If you were already taking a different antibiotic when you got C. diff, you provider may ask you to stop taking that one.

If you have a severe case, you may need to stay in the hospital. If you have very severe pain or serious complications, you may need surgery to remove the diseased part of your colon.

About 1 in 5 people who have had a C. diff infection will get it again. It could be that your original infection came back or that you have new infection. Contact your health care provider if your symptoms come back.

Can C. diff infections be prevented?

There are steps you can take to try to prevent getting or spreading C. diff:

Health care providers can also help prevent C. diff infections by taking infection control precautions and improving how they prescribe antibiotics.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Have you ever had the "stomach flu?" What you probably had was gastroenteritis - not a type of flu at all. Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the lining of the intestines caused by a virus, bacteria, or parasites. Viral gastroenteritis is the second most common illness in the U.S. The cause is often a norovirus infection. It spreads through contaminated food or water or by contact with an infected person. The best prevention is frequent hand washing.

Symptoms of gastroenteritis include diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, fever, and chills. Most people recover with no treatment.

The most common problem with gastroenteritis is dehydration. This happens if you do not drink enough fluids to replace what you lose through vomiting and diarrhea. Dehydration is most common in babies, young children, older adults, and people with weak immune systems.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

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Code History
