Diagnosis Code 020.5
Information for Medical Professionals
The ICD-10 and ICD-9 GEMs are used to facilitate linking between the diagnosis codes in ICD-9-CM and the new ICD-10-CM code set. The GEMs are the raw material from which providers, health information vendors and payers can derive specific applied mappings to meet their needs.
- A20.2 - Pneumonic plague (approximate) Approximate Flag
The approximate flag is on, indicating that the relationship between the code in the source system and the code in the target system is an approximate equivalent.
Index of Diseases and Injuries
References found for the code 020.5 in the Index of Diseases and Injuries:
- Plague 020.9
- pneumonic 020.5
- primary 020.3
- secondary 020.4
- pneumonic 020.5
Information for Patients
Also called: Bubonic plague, Pneumonic plague
Plague is an infection caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The bacteria are found mainly in rats and in the fleas that feed on them. People and other animals can get plague from rat or flea bites. In the past, plague destroyed entire civilizations. Today plague is uncommon, due to better living conditions and antibiotics.
There are three forms of plague:
- Bubonic plague causes the tonsils, adenoids, spleen, and thymus to become inflamed. Symptoms include fever, aches, chills, and tender lymph glands.
- In septicemic plague, bacteria multiply in the blood. It causes fever, chills, shock, and bleeding under the skin or other organs.
- Pneumonic plague is the most serious form. Bacteria enter the lungs and cause pneumonia. People with the infection can spread this form to others. This type could be a bioterror agent.
Lab tests can diagnose plague. Treatment is a strong antibiotic. There is no vaccine.
NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases