ICD Code for Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome
The ICD-9-CM code for staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) is 695.81 1.
Code Details
The most recent study examining SSSS in a pediatric cohort specifically used ICD-9-CM code 695.81 to identify patients with this diagnosis 1. This code was used in conjunction with code 041.1 (for staphylococcal infection) to retrospectively identify cases in their hospital system from 2010-2023.
Important Coding Considerations
ICD-10-CM equivalent: While the evidence provided specifically references ICD-9-CM coding, healthcare systems in many countries have transitioned to ICD-10-CM. You should verify the current coding system used in your facility.
Associated infection code: When coding SSSS, consider also documenting the underlying staphylococcal infection (041.1 in ICD-9-CM) as this captures both the causative organism and the clinical syndrome 1.
Clinical context matters: SSSS is a toxin-mediated blistering disorder primarily affecting children under 5 years (86% of cases), with peak incidence in winter, summer, and autumn months 1. Accurate coding helps track epidemiological patterns and resource utilization, with typical hospitalization lasting 7.8 days 1.