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  6. 2024 ICD-10-CM Code J02.9

2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J02.9

Acute pharyngitis, unspecified

ICD-10-CM Code:
J02.9
ICD-10 Code for:
Acute pharyngitis, unspecified
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Not chronic
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Diseases of the respiratory system
    (J00–J99)
    • Acute upper respiratory infections
      (J00-J06)
      • Acute pharyngitis
        (J02)

J02.9 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of acute pharyngitis, 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.

The code is commonly used in family practice, internal medicine , pediatrics medical specialties to specify clinical concepts such as acute respiratory infections.

Unspecified diagnosis codes like J02.9 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 bacterial pharyngitis
  • Acute gangrenous pharyngitis
  • Acute pharyngitis
  • Acute phlegmonous pharyngitis
  • Acute ulcerative pharyngitis
  • Acute viral pharyngitis
  • Aphthous ulcer of mouth
  • Cervical lymphadenitis
  • Exudative pharyngitis
  • Finding of sensation of pharynx
  • Gangrenous pharyngitis
  • Has a sore throat
  • Infective pharyngitis
  • Pain in throat
  • PFAPA syndrome
  • Pharyngeal diverticulitis
  • Pharyngitis
  • Pharyngotonsillitis
  • Phlegmonous pharyngitis
  • Recurrent aphthous ulcer
  • Recurrent ulcer of mouth
  • Redness of throat
  • Sore throat
  • Soreness
  • Suppurative pharyngitis
  • Ulcer of pharynx
  • Ulcer of pharynx
  • Ulcerative pharyngitis

Clinical Classification

Clinical Information

  • Pharyngitis

    inflammation of the throat (pharynx).

  • Pharynx

    a funnel-shaped fibromuscular tube that conducts food to the esophagus, and air to the larynx and lungs. it is located posterior to the nasal cavity; oral cavity; and larynx, and extends from the skull base to the inferior border of the cricoid cartilage anteriorly and to the inferior border of the c6 vertebra posteriorly. it is divided into the nasopharynx; oropharynx; and hypopharynx (laryngopharynx).

  • Acute Pharyngitis

    an acute and painful inflammatory process that affects the pharynx. it is usually caused by viruses and less often bacteria. signs and symptoms include discomfort on swallowing, low-grade fever, headache, and earache.

  • Cervical Lymphadenitis

    inflammation of the cervical lymph nodes.

  • Bothered by Sore Muscles|Bothered by Muscle Soreness|Have you, during the past week, been bothered by sore muscles

    a question about whether an individual is or was bothered by sore muscles.

  • Extent Have Soreness in Mouth|Extent of Soreness in Mouth|Have you had soreness in your mouth

    a question about the extent to which an individual has or had soreness in their mouth.

  • FACIT-Searchable Item Library Adult Version - Pain/Soreness/Aches in Some Muscles|FSIL-Pain/Soreness/Aches in Some Muscles|FSIL-Pain/Soreness/Aches in Some Muscles|FSIL0420

    functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-searchable item library adult version (facit-searchable item library adult version) i feel pain, soreness or aches in some of my muscles.

  • Feel Pain, Soreness, or Aches in Some Areas of Body|I feel pain, soreness or aches in some areas of my body

    a question about whether an individual feels or felt pain, soreness, or aches in some areas of their body.

  • Have Vaginal Soreness|Soreness|Vaginal Soreness

    a question about whether an individual has or had vaginal soreness.

  • Have Vulvar Soreness|Soreness|Vulvar Soreness

    a question about whether an individual has or had vulvar soreness.

  • KDQOL-36 Version 1 - Bothered by Soreness in Muscles|KDQ1-Bothered by Soreness in Muscles|KDQ1-Bothered by Soreness in Muscles|KDQ117

    kidney disease and quality of life-36 version 1 (kdqol-36 version 1) during the past 4 weeks, to what extent were you bothered by each of the following: soreness in your muscles?

  • PHQ Screener Version - Muscle Tension|PHQ03-Muscle Tension/Aches/Soreness|PHQ03-Muscle Tension/Aches/Soreness|PHQ0305D

    patient health questionnaire screener version (phq screener version) over the last 4 weeks, how often have you been bothered by muscle tension, aches, or soreness?

  • Pregnancy Related Breast Soreness|Pregnancy Breast Soreness

    the tenderness of the breasts during pregnancy due to changes in the hormonal levels and increased breast tissue growth.

  • Soreness

    a dull achy pain.

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.
  • Gangrenous pharyngitis (acute)
  • Infective pharyngitis (acute) NOS
  • Pharyngitis (acute) NOS
  • Sore throat (acute) NOS
  • Suppurative pharyngitis (acute)
  • Ulcerative pharyngitis (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.

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 J02.9 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 462 - Acute pharyngitis
    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


Sore Throat

Your throat is a tube that carries food to your esophagus and air to your windpipe and larynx (also called the voice box). The technical name for the throat is pharynx.

You can have a sore throat for many reasons. Often, colds and flu cause sore throats. Other causes can include:

  • Allergies
  • Mononucleosis
  • Smoking
  • Strep throat
  • Tonsillitis

Treatment depends on the cause. Sucking on lozenges, drinking lots of liquids, and gargling may ease the pain. Over-the-counter pain relievers can also help, but children should not take aspirin.


[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.