M00

M00 is a diagnostic code in the ICD-10-CM system that designates pyogenic arthritis, an acute bacterial infection of a joint or joints. The M00 block covers bacterial arthritis and is subdivided to specify the causative organism or the affected joints. Subcodes commonly mention particular organisms or unspecified pyogenic arthritis, such as M00.0 for Staphylococcal arthritis, M00.1 for Streptococcal arthritis, and M00.9 for pyogenic arthritis, unspecified. The system allows for increasingly precise documentation of the infection’s etiology and location.

In practice, M00 codes are used in medical records, billing, and public health reporting. They help clinicians and coders record the diagnosis consistently, support epidemiological tracking of joint infections, and assist in determining appropriate treatment strategies. The ICD-10-CM classification is maintained by health authorities, with updates reflecting new medical knowledge and coding practices. While M00 is primarily a medical coding term, it appears within clinical documentation to indicate a bacterial cause of arthritis rather than a non-infectious joint disease.

Outside medicine, the designation M00 can appear as an alphanumeric label in other contexts, such as model numbers or identifiers in different systems. This article focuses on its role within ICD-10-CM coding. Readers seeking information about non-medical uses should consult sources specific to the relevant domain, as meanings for the same string can vary across fields.