J20CurrentCategory · further specificity required

Acute bronchitis

Code-level instructions

Excludes 1

bronchitis NOS (J40)
tracheobronchitis NOS (J40)

Chapters 10 · Inherited instructions

Use additional code

code, where applicable, to identify:
exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)
exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81)
history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)
occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)
tobacco dependence (F17.-)
tobacco use (Z72.0)

Excludes 2 · 21

J20

Excludes 2

acute bronchitis with bronchiectasis (J47.0)
acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive asthma (J44.0)
acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (J44.0)
allergic bronchitis NOS (J45.909)
bronchitis due to chemicals, fumes and vapors (J68.0)
chronic bronchitis NOS (J42)
chronic mucopurulent bronchitis (J41.1)
chronic obstructive bronchitis (J44.-)
chronic obstructive tracheobronchitis (J44.-)
chronic simple bronchitis (J41.0)
chronic tracheobronchitis (J42)

Chapters 10 · Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99)

Excludes 2

certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
neoplasms (C00-D49)
smoke inhalation (T59.81-)
symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)

J20-J22 · Other acute lower respiratory infections (J20-J22)

Excludes 2

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute lower respiratory infection (J44.0)

More specific codes

J20.0Acute bronchitis due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae J20.1Acute bronchitis due to Hemophilus influenzae J20.2Acute bronchitis due to streptococcus J20.3Acute bronchitis due to coxsackievirus J20.4Acute bronchitis due to parainfluenza virus J20.5Acute bronchitis due to respiratory syncytial virus J20.6Acute bronchitis due to rhinovirus J20.7Acute bronchitis due to echovirus J20.8Acute bronchitis due to other specified organisms J20.9Acute bronchitis, unspecified

Claims & coverage

When ICD-10-CM is required

For US diagnosis claims covered by HIPAA, ICD-10-CM is required from October 1, 2015.

Use the service date for outpatient/professional claims and the discharge date for hospital inpatient claims. Earlier encounters use ICD-9-CM; each individual code must also be valid for the applicable date.

Official coding guidelines → · CMS ↗

First observed · 2015-10-01

Code history

Latest recorded change · FY2026

ChangedUnchanged

FY2026

Effective from 2025-10-01

Code-level rules changed

Acute bronchitis

Category — select a more specific code

CDC/NCHS · FY2026

All editions (19)

All editions	Effective from	Code history
FY2016	2015-10-01	First observed
FY2017	2016-10-01	Inherited rules changed
FY2018	2017-10-01	No tabular change
FY2019	2018-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020	2019-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020 · April	2020-04-01	No tabular change
FY2021	2020-10-01	No tabular change
FY2021 · 01-01	2021-01-01	No tabular change
FY2022	2021-10-01	No tabular change
FY2022 · 04-01	2022-04-01	No tabular change
FY2023	2022-10-01	No tabular change
FY2023 · 04-01	2023-04-01	No tabular change
FY2024	2023-10-01	No tabular change
FY2024 · 04-01	2024-04-01	No tabular change
FY2025	2024-10-01	No tabular change
FY2025 · 04-01	2025-04-01	No tabular change
FY2026	2025-10-01	Code-level rules changed
FY2026 · April	2026-04-01	No tabular change
FY2027	2026-10-01	No tabular change

Code-level instructions

Includes

acute and subacute bronchitis (with) bronchospasm
acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheitis
acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheobronchitis, acute
acute and subacute fibrinous bronchitis
acute and subacute membranous bronchitis
acute and subacute purulent bronchitis
acute and subacute septic bronchitis

Excludes 1

bronchitis NOS (J40)
tracheobronchitis NOS (J40)

Excludes 2

acute bronchitis with bronchiectasis (J47.0)
acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive asthma (J44.0)
acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (J44.0)
allergic bronchitis NOS (J45.909)
bronchitis due to chemicals, fumes and vapors (J68.0)
chronic bronchitis NOS (J42)
chronic mucopurulent bronchitis (J41.1)
chronic obstructive bronchitis (J44.-)
chronic obstructive tracheobronchitis (J44.-)
chronic simple bronchitis (J41.0)
chronic tracheobronchitis (J42)

Inherited instructions

Chapters 10 · Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99)

Excludes 2

certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
neoplasms (C00-D49)
smoke inhalation (T59.81-)
symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)

Use additional code

code, where applicable, to identify:
exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)
exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81)
history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)
occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)
tobacco dependence (F17.-)
tobacco use (Z72.0)

Note

When a respiratory condition is described as occurring in more than one site and is not specifically indexed, it should be classified to the lower anatomic site (e.g. tracheobronchitis to bronchitis in J40).

J20-J22 · Other acute lower respiratory infections (J20-J22)

Excludes 2

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute lower respiratory infection (J44.0)

More specific codes

Related codes

Official titles and instructions are preserved in their source language. Official sources ↗

J20CurrentCategory · further specificity required

Acute bronchitis

Code-level instructions

Excludes 1

bronchitis NOS (J40)
tracheobronchitis NOS (J40)

Chapters 10 · Inherited instructions

Use additional code

code, where applicable, to identify:
exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)
exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81)
history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)
occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)
tobacco dependence (F17.-)
tobacco use (Z72.0)

Excludes 2 · 21

J20

Excludes 2

acute bronchitis with bronchiectasis (J47.0)
acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive asthma (J44.0)
acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (J44.0)
allergic bronchitis NOS (J45.909)
bronchitis due to chemicals, fumes and vapors (J68.0)
chronic bronchitis NOS (J42)
chronic mucopurulent bronchitis (J41.1)
chronic obstructive bronchitis (J44.-)
chronic obstructive tracheobronchitis (J44.-)
chronic simple bronchitis (J41.0)
chronic tracheobronchitis (J42)

Chapters 10 · Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99)

Excludes 2

certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
neoplasms (C00-D49)
smoke inhalation (T59.81-)
symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)

J20-J22 · Other acute lower respiratory infections (J20-J22)

Excludes 2

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute lower respiratory infection (J44.0)

More specific codes

Claims & coverage

When ICD-10-CM is required

For US diagnosis claims covered by HIPAA, ICD-10-CM is required from October 1, 2015.

Official coding guidelines → · CMS ↗

First observed · 2015-10-01

Code history

Latest recorded change · FY2026

ChangedUnchanged

FY2026

Effective from 2025-10-01

Code-level rules changed

Acute bronchitis

Category — select a more specific code

CDC/NCHS · FY2026

All editions (19)

All editions	Effective from	Code history
FY2016	2015-10-01	First observed
FY2017	2016-10-01	Inherited rules changed
FY2018	2017-10-01	No tabular change
FY2019	2018-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020	2019-10-01	No tabular change
FY2020 · April	2020-04-01	No tabular change
FY2021	2020-10-01	No tabular change
FY2021 · 01-01	2021-01-01	No tabular change
FY2022	2021-10-01	No tabular change
FY2022 · 04-01	2022-04-01	No tabular change
FY2023	2022-10-01	No tabular change
FY2023 · 04-01	2023-04-01	No tabular change
FY2024	2023-10-01	No tabular change
FY2024 · 04-01	2024-04-01	No tabular change
FY2025	2024-10-01	No tabular change
FY2025 · 04-01	2025-04-01	No tabular change
FY2026	2025-10-01	Code-level rules changed
FY2026 · April	2026-04-01	No tabular change
FY2027	2026-10-01	No tabular change

Code-level instructions

Includes

acute and subacute bronchitis (with) bronchospasm
acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheitis
acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheobronchitis, acute
acute and subacute fibrinous bronchitis
acute and subacute membranous bronchitis
acute and subacute purulent bronchitis
acute and subacute septic bronchitis

Excludes 1

bronchitis NOS (J40)
tracheobronchitis NOS (J40)

Excludes 2

acute bronchitis with bronchiectasis (J47.0)
acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive asthma (J44.0)
acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (J44.0)
allergic bronchitis NOS (J45.909)
bronchitis due to chemicals, fumes and vapors (J68.0)
chronic bronchitis NOS (J42)
chronic mucopurulent bronchitis (J41.1)
chronic obstructive bronchitis (J44.-)
chronic obstructive tracheobronchitis (J44.-)
chronic simple bronchitis (J41.0)
chronic tracheobronchitis (J42)

Inherited instructions

Chapters 10 · Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99)

Excludes 2

certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
neoplasms (C00-D49)
smoke inhalation (T59.81-)
symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)

Use additional code

code, where applicable, to identify:
exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)
exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81)
history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)
occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)
tobacco dependence (F17.-)
tobacco use (Z72.0)

Note

J20-J22 · Other acute lower respiratory infections (J20-J22)

Excludes 2

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute lower respiratory infection (J44.0)

More specific codes

Related codes

Official titles and instructions are preserved in their source language. Official sources ↗