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  6. 2024 ICD-10-CM Code J21.9

2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J21.9

Acute bronchiolitis, unspecified

ICD-10-CM Code:
J21.9
ICD-10 Code for:
Acute bronchiolitis, unspecified
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Not chronic
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Diseases of the respiratory system
    (J00–J99)
    • Other acute lower respiratory infections
      (J20-J22)
      • Acute bronchiolitis
        (J21)

J21.9 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of acute bronchiolitis, unspecified. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024.

Unspecified diagnosis codes like J21.9 are acceptable when clinical information is unknown or not available about a particular condition. Although a more specific code is preferable, unspecified codes should be used when such codes most accurately reflect what is known about a patient's condition. Specific diagnosis codes should not be used if not supported by the patient's medical record.

Approximate Synonyms

The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code:

  • Acute bronchiolitis
  • Acute bronchiolitis with bronchospasm
  • Acute bronchiolitis with obstruction
  • Acute bronchitis with bronchospasm
  • Acute bronchospasm
  • Acute exudative bronchiolitis
  • Acute obliterating bronchiolitis
  • Acute viral bronchiolitis
  • Bronchiolitis
  • Bronchiolitis exudativa
  • Bronchospasm
  • Chronic bronchiolitis
  • Diffuse panbronchiolitis
  • Necrotizing bronchiolitis
  • Pulmonary necrosis

Clinical Classification

Clinical Information

  • Bronchiolitis

    inflammation of the bronchioles.

  • Bronchiolitis Obliterans

    inflammation of the bronchioles leading to an obstructive lung disease. bronchioles are characterized by fibrous granulation tissue with bronchial exudates in the lumens. clinical features include a nonproductive cough and dyspnea.

  • Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome

    bronchiolitis obliterans complication from allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and lung transplantation.

  • Bronchiolitis, Viral

    an acute inflammatory disease of the lower respiratory tract, caused by paramyxoviruses, occurring primarily in infants and young children; the viruses most commonly implicated are parainfluenza virus type 3; respiratory syncytial virus, human; and metapneumovirus.

  • Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia

    an interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology, occurring between 21-80 years of age. it is characterized by a dramatic onset of a "pneumonia-like" illness with cough, fever, malaise, fatigue, and weight loss. pathological features include prominent interstitial inflammation without collagen fibrosis, diffuse fibroblastic foci, and no microscopic honeycomb change. there is excessive proliferation of granulation tissue within small airways and alveolar ducts.

  • Bronchioles

    the small airways branching off the tertiary bronchi. terminal bronchioles lead into several orders of respiratory bronchioles which in turn lead into alveolar ducts and then into pulmonary alveoli.

  • Acute Bronchiolitis

    acute inflammation of the bronchioles usually caused by the respiratory syncytial virus.

  • Bronchospasm

    sudden contraction of the smooth muscles of the bronchial wall.

  • Bronchospasm, CTCAE|Bronchospasm|Bronchospasm

    a disorder characterized by a sudden contraction of the smooth muscles of the bronchial wall.

  • Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm|Exercise induced bronchospasm

    sudden contraction of the smooth muscles of the bronchial wall that occurs during or following exercise.

  • Grade 1 Bronchospasm, CTCAE|Grade 1 Bronchospasm

    mild symptoms; intervention not indicated

  • Grade 2 Bronchospasm, CTCAE|Grade 2 Bronchospasm

    symptomatic; medical intervention indicated; limiting instrumental adl

  • Grade 3 Bronchospasm, CTCAE|Grade 3 Bronchospasm

    limiting self care adl; supplemental oxygen indicated

  • Grade 4 Bronchospasm, CTCAE|Grade 4 Bronchospasm

    life-threatening respiratory or hemodynamic compromise; intubation or urgent intervention indicated

  • Grade 5 Bronchospasm, CTCAE|Grade 5 Bronchospasm

    death

Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries

The following annotation back-references are applicable to this diagnosis code. The Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries is a list of ICD-10-CM codes, organized "head to toe" into chapters and sections with coding notes and guidance for inclusions, exclusions, descriptions and more.


Inclusion Terms

Inclusion Terms
These terms are the conditions for which that code is to be used. The terms may be synonyms of the code title, or, in the case of "other specified" codes, the terms are a list of the various conditions assigned to that code. The inclusion terms are not necessarily exhaustive. Additional terms found only in the Alphabetic Index may also be assigned to a code.
  • Bronchiolitis (acute)

Type 1 Excludes

Type 1 Excludes
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
  • chronic bronchiolitis J44

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Convert J21.9 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 466.19 - Acu brnchlts d/t oth org
    Approximate Flag - The approximate mapping means there is not an exact match between the ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes and the mapped code is not a precise representation of the original code.

Patient Education


Bronchial Disorders

When you breathe in, the air travels down through your trachea (windpipe). It then goes through two tubes to your lungs. These tubes are your bronchi. Bronchial disorders can make it hard for you to breathe.

The most common problem with the bronchi is bronchitis, an inflammation of the tubes. It can be acute or chronic. Other problems include:

  • Bronchiectasis - a condition in which damage to the airways causes them to widen and become flabby and scarred
  • Exercise-induced bronchospasm - a breathing problem that happens when your airways shrink while you are exercising
  • Bronchiolitis - an inflammation of the small airways that branch off from the bronchi
  • Bronchopulmonary dysplasia - a chronic lung condition in infants, most often premature infants

[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.