Septic (infectious) arthritis
Also known as: Infection related arthropathies, unspecified
General information only. Anpheros does not diagnose and does not recommend treatment. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your situation. In an emergency, call 112 (or your local emergency number).
In short
Pyogenic or infectious arthritis is an infection in a joint, which is a place where two bones meet, such as the elbow or knee. The infection spreads from another part of the body and can be bacterial, viral, or fungal. Symptoms include intense joint pain, redness, swelling, chills, fever, and an inability to move the area with the infected joint. Diagnosis may involve tests of the blood, urine, and joint fluid, while treatment includes medicines and sometimes surgery.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
AI-generated summary of the sources cited on this page, checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a clinician; not medical advice.
Codes
Description
Most kinds of arthritis cause pain and swelling in your joints. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. Infectious arthritis is an infection in the joint. The infection comes from a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection that spreads from another part of the body. Symptoms of infectious arthritis include:
- Intense pain in the joint
- Joint redness and swelling
- Chills and fever
- Inability to move the area with the infected joint
One type of infectious arthritis is reactive arthritis. The reaction is to an infection somewhere else in your body. The joint is usually the knee, ankle, or toe. Sometimes, reactive arthritis is set off by an infection in the bladder, or in the urethra, which carries urine out of the body. In women, an infection in the vagina can cause the reaction. For both men and women, it can start with bacteria passed on during sex. Another form of reactive arthritis starts with eating food or handling something that has bacteria on it.
To diagnose infectious arthritis, your health care provider may do tests of your blood, urine, and joint fluid. Treatment includes medicines and sometimes surgery.
Next to it in ICD-10
- L89Pressure ulcers (bedsores)
- L93Lupus erythematosus, unspecified
- L95Vasculitis limited to the skin
- M01Joint infection in other infectious diseases
- M05Seropositive rheumatoid arthritis
- M06Rheumatoid arthritis, serology unspecified
Neighbouring codes in the classification, not a medical link.
External resources
Questions
What is the ICD-10 code for Septic (infectious) arthritis?
M00 (WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision).
What is the ICD-11 code for Septic (infectious) arthritis?
FA1Z: Infection related arthropathies, unspecified (WHO, ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics).
Sources and attribution
- ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, © World Health Organization, licensed under CC BY-ND 3.0 IGO.
- Names other than the official source titles: Anpheros translations and plain-language names, made with AI assistance and checked automatically; the source names are in English.
- Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- ICD-10 codes and titles © World Health Organization. Source: WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (2019).
Anpheros Search catalog 2026.10.5, published 17 October 2026. About the data →
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