American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Certification Practice Exam 2025 - Free AHIMA Practice Questions and Study Guide

The ICD-9-CM coding system is used to classify diseases and health conditions for reporting purposes. In this scenario, acute osteomyelitis of the ankle due to Staphylococcus requires the appropriate codes to accurately document the condition and its causative factor.

The code 730.07 specifically identifies acute osteomyelitis located in the ankle and is used when the pathogen, in this case Staphylococcus, is known. This code effectively describes the location and nature of the osteomyelitis.

Including the additional code 041.10 indicates the presence of a specified bacterial infection (in this case, the Staphylococcus) and is necessary when a certain type of organism is documented as the cause of the infection. This adds essential detail to the coding, allowing for better understanding and tracking of specific infections in medical records and for epidemiological purposes.

Choosing the option that includes both codes ensures that the medical information accurately conveys the details of the condition and its etiology, thus reflecting best practices in health information management.