R65.20 – Severe sepsis without septic shock

ICD-10-CM 2027 diagnosis code · General symptoms and signs

Billable code

ICD-10-CM code R65.20
Code
R65.20 (claims format: R6520)
Description
Severe sepsis without septic shock
Billable
Yes – valid for HIPAA-covered transactions
Valid for
Dates of service October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 (FY2027)
Chapter
18. Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)
Block
R50-R69 General symptoms and signs
Parent codes
R65 › R65.2

Notes for R65.20

Applicable to:
  • Severe sepsis NOS

Notes inherited from parent codes

Instructional notes at a category or block level apply to every code below it.

R65.2 – Severe sepsis

Applicable to:
  • Infection with associated acute organ dysfunction
  • Sepsis with acute organ dysfunction
  • Sepsis with multiple organ dysfunction
  • Systemic inflammatory response syndrome due to infectious process with acute organ dysfunction
Code first:
  • underlying infection, such as:
  • infection following a procedure (T81.4-)
  • infections following infusion, transfusion and therapeutic injection (T80.2-)
  • puerperal sepsis (O85)
  • sepsis following complete or unspecified spontaneous abortion (O03.87)
  • sepsis following ectopic and molar pregnancy (O08.82)
  • sepsis following incomplete spontaneous abortion (O03.37)
  • sepsis following (induced) termination of pregnancy (O04.87)
  • sepsis NOS (A41.9)
Use additional code:
  • code to identify specific acute organ dysfunction, such as:
  • acute kidney failure (N17.-)
  • acute respiratory failure (J96.0-)
  • critical illness myopathy (G72.81)
  • critical illness polyneuropathy (G62.81)
  • disseminated intravascular coagulopathy [DIC] (D65)
  • encephalopathy (metabolic) (septic) (G93.41)
  • hepatic failure (K72.0-)

Index terms for R65.20

Entries in the ICD-10-CM alphabetic index that lead to this code:

Related codes in R65.2

Frequently asked questions

What is ICD-10 code R65.20?

R65.20 is the ICD-10-CM code for severe sepsis without septic shock, in the block R50-R69 (General symptoms and signs).

Is R65.20 a billable code?

Yes. R65.20 is a billable/specific code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.

What category does R65.20 belong to?

It belongs to category R65 – Symptoms and signs specifically associated with systemic inflammation and infection.

Source: CDC/NCHS ICD-10-CM FY2027 code files, tabular list and index. Reference only – code assignment must follow the official ICD-10-CM guidelines and documentation in the medical record.