Z22.322 Carrier or suspected carrier of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026. Exempt from present-on-admission (POA) reporting.

Applicable to

• MRSA colonization

Applies from Z22 Carrier of infectious disease

Includes

• colonization status
• suspected carrier

Excludes2 (not included here)

• carrier of viral hepatitis (B18.-)

MS-DRG index

Defines the logic of DRG(s) 951 in MDC 23.

Approximate ICD-9-CM (GEMs)

• V02.54 Carrier or suspected carrier of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Medicare Code Edits (MCE v43.1 (April 2026))

• Unacceptable principal diagnosis: These codes describe a circumstance which influences care but is not a current illness or injury, or capture only an underlying condition, and are unacceptable as principal diagnosis.

Code annotations containing back-references to Z22.322

Back-references to Z22

• Use Additional: O99.83 Other infection carrier state complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium ("code to identify the carrier state (Z22.-)")
• Type 1 Excludes: R82.7 Abnormal findings on microbiological examination of urine ("colonization status (Z22.-)")
• Type 1 Excludes: R83.5 Abnormal microbiological findings in cerebrospinal fluid ("colonization status (Z22.-)")
• Type 1 Excludes: R84.5 Abnormal microbiological findings in specimens from respiratory organs and thorax ("colonization status (Z22.-)")
• Type 1 Excludes: R85.5 Abnormal microbiological findings in specimens from digestive organs and abdominal cavity ("colonization status (Z22.-)")
• Type 1 Excludes: R86.5 Abnormal microbiological findings in specimens from male genital organs ("colonization status (Z22.-)")
• Type 1 Excludes: R87.5 Abnormal microbiological findings in specimens from female genital organs ("colonization status (Z22.-)")
• Type 1 Excludes: R89.5 Abnormal microbiological findings in specimens from other organs, systems and tissues ("colonization status (Z22.-)")
• Type 1 Excludes: Z20 Contact with and (suspected) exposure to communicable diseases ("carrier of infectious disease (Z22.-)")

Diagnosis Index entries for Z22.322

• Carrier (suspected) of › bacterial disease NEC › staphylococcal (Methicillin susceptible) › Methicillin resistant
• Carrier (suspected) of › staphylococci (Methicillin susceptible) › Methicillin resistant
• Colonization › MRSA (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
• Positive › culture (nonspecific) › nose › staphylococcus (Methicillin susceptible) › Methicillin resistant

Nearby codes

• Z22.2 Carrier of diphtheria
• Z22.3 Carrier of other specified bacterial diseases
• Z22.31 Carrier of bacterial disease due to meningococci
• Z22.32 Carrier of bacterial disease due to staphylococci
• Z22.321 Carrier or suspected carrier of Methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus
• Z22.322 Carrier or suspected carrier of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (this code)
• Z22.33 Carrier of bacterial disease due to streptococci
• Z22.330 Carrier of Group B streptococcus
• Z22.338 Carrier of other streptococcus
• Z22.34 Carrier of Acinetobacter baumannii
• Z22.340 Carrier of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii