VA Diagnostic Code 6334Shigella infections
Rated from 0% to 100% under § 4.88b. Here is what the VA requires at each level.
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What each rating requires
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- 100%
For active disease
- 100%
As active disease
- 100%
As active disease
- 100%
As active disease
- 100%
As active disease
- 100%
Marked mental changes, moist dermatitis, inability to retain adequate nourishment, exhaustion, and cachexia
- 60%
With all of the symptoms listed below, plus mental symptoms and impaired bodily vigor
- 40%
With stomatitis, diarrhea, and symmetrical dermatitis
- 20%
With stomatitis, or achlorhydria, or diarrhea
- 10%
Confirmed diagnosis with nonspecific symptoms such as: decreased appetite, weight loss, abdominal discomfort, weakness, inability to concentrate and irritability
- 100%
With congestive heart failure, anasarca, or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
- 60%
With cardiomegaly, or; with peripheral neuropathy with footdrop or atrophy of thigh or calf muscles
- 30%
With peripheral neuropathy with absent knee or ankle jerks and loss of sensation, or; with symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, anorexia, dizziness, heaviness and stiffness of legs, headache or sleep disturbance
- 100%
Marked mental changes, moist dermatitis, inability to retain adequate nourishment, exhaustion, and cachexia
- 60%
With all of the symptoms listed below, plus mental symptoms and impaired bodily vigor
- 40%
With stomatitis, diarrhea, and symmetrical dermatitis
- 20%
With stomatitis, or achlorhydria, or diarrhea
- 10%
Confirmed diagnosis with nonspecific symptoms such as: decreased appetite, weight loss, abdominal discomfort, weakness, inability to concentrate and irritability
- 100%
As active disease
- 0%
As acute or asymptomatic chronic disease
- 100%
Not to be combined with ratings under DC 7809 Acute, with frequent exacerbations, producing severe impairment of health
- 60%
Exacerbations lasting a week or more, 2 or 3 times per year
- 10%
Exacerbations once or twice a year or symptomatic during the past 2 years
- 100%
AIDS with recurrent opportunistic infections (see Note 3) or with secondary diseases afflicting multiple body systems; HIV-related illness with debility and progressive weight loss
- 60%
Refractory constitutional symptoms, diarrhea, and pathological weight loss; or minimum rating following development of AIDS-related opportunistic infection or neoplasm
- 30%
Recurrent constitutional symptoms, intermittent diarrhea, and use of approved medication(s); or minimum rating with T4 cell count less than 200
- 10%
Following development of HIV-related constitutional symptoms; T4 cell count between 200 and 500; use of approved medication(s); or with evidence of depression or memory loss with employment limitations
- 0%
Asymptomatic, following initial diagnosis of HIV infection, with or without lymphadenopathy or decreased T4 cell count
- 100%
Which are nearly constant and so severe as to restrict routine daily activities almost completely and which may occasionally preclude self-care
- 60%
Which are nearly constant and restrict routine daily activities to less than 50 percent of the pre-illness level; or which wax and wane, resulting in periods of incapacitation of at least six weeks total duration per year
- 40%
Which are nearly constant and restrict routine daily activities from 50 to 75 percent of the pre-illness level; or which wax and wane, resulting in periods of incapacitation of at least four but less than six weeks total duration per year
- 20%
Which are nearly constant and restrict routine daily activities by less than 25 percent of the pre-illness level; or which wax and wane, resulting in periods of incapacitation of at least two but less than four weeks total duration per year
- 10%
Which wax and wane but result in periods of incapacitation of at least one but less than two weeks total duration per year; or symptoms controlled by continuous medication
General rating formula
General Rating Formula for Infectious Diseases
Notes on this code
These notes are part of the regulation. They change how the levels above are applied.
- Note: Rate under the appropriate body system any residual disability of infection, which includes, but is not limited to, hemolytic-uremic syndrome or reactive arthritis.
Shigella Infections (VA Diagnostic Code 6334)
Understanding how the VA rates Shigella infections under 38 CFR § 4.88b
What Is This Condition?
Shigella infections are covered under the VA's rating schedule for Infectious Diseases, Immune Disorders, and Nutritional Deficiencies. This condition is assigned Diagnostic Code 6334 and is evaluated using the General Rating Formula for Infectious Diseases.
Because an infection can leave lasting effects even after the active illness resolves, the VA rating rules include an important note about how residual (leftover) disabilities are handled.
Note: Rate under the appropriate body system any residual disability of infection, which includes, but is not limited to, hemolytic-uremic syndrome or reactive arthritis.
In plain terms: if the Shigella infection causes ongoing complications in other parts of the body, those lasting effects may be rated separately under the body system they affect.
Available Rating Levels
Under the General Rating Formula for Infectious Diseases, the VA recognizes two primary evaluation points for Shigella infections:
| Rating | What It Reflects |
|---|---|
| 100% | For active disease |
| 0% | As acute or asymptomatic chronic disease |
- A 100% rating applies while the disease is active.
- A 0% rating applies when the condition is acute or is a chronic disease that is not currently producing symptoms.
Any lasting complications from the infection are addressed separately under the appropriate body system, as described in the note above.
What the VA Looks For
When evaluating a Shigella infection under Diagnostic Code 6334, the VA considers:
- Whether the disease is currently active — active disease is the basis for a 100% evaluation.
- Whether the condition is acute or an asymptomatic chronic disease — this corresponds to a 0% evaluation.
- Any residual disability caused by the infection — such as hemolytic-uremic syndrome or reactive arthritis — which is rated under the body system it affects rather than under this diagnostic code.
This information is provided for general educational purposes and is based solely on the VA rating schedule for Diagnostic Code 6334 under 38 CFR § 4.88b. It does not guarantee any particular rating or outcome.
These criteria are a rendering of § 4.88b, diagnostic code 6334. The official version is the one that governs your rating.
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