2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A36.0Pharyngeal diphtheria

ICD-10-CM Codes›A00–B99›A30-A49›A36

ICD-10-CM A36.0
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

A36.0 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for pharyngeal diphtheria. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 154 through 156. Coders also document this condition as faucial diphtheria. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Bacterial infections and Other specified upper respiratory infections.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
A36.0
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Pharyngeal diphtheria
Short Description
Pharyngeal diphtheria
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
A36
Diphtheria

Code Classification

ChapterA00–B99Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
SectionA30-A49Other bacterial diseases
CategoryA36Diphtheria
This CodeA36.0Pharyngeal diphtheria

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Faucial diphtheria
  • Paralysis of palate
  • Paralysis of uvula
  • Pharyngeal diphtheria
  • Postdiphtheritic paralysis of uvula
  • Respiratory diphtheria
  • Sequela of infection caused by Corynebacterium

Tabular List NotesGuidance

Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.

Inclusion Terms

  • Diphtheritic membranous angina
  • Tonsillar diphtheria

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance

References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.

    • Angina(attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
      • diphtheritic, membranous
    • Angina(attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
      • gangrenous diphtheritic
    • Angina(attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
      • malignant diphtheritic
    • Angina(attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
      • membranous
        • diphtheritic
    • Angina(attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
      • phlegmonous
        • diphtheritic
    • Angina(attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
      • pultaceous, diphtheritic
    • Bretonneau's disease or angina
    • Diphtheria, diphtheritic(gangrenous) (hemorrhagic)
      • faucial
    • Diphtheria, diphtheritic(gangrenous) (hemorrhagic)
      • pharyngeal
    • Diphtheria, diphtheritic(gangrenous) (hemorrhagic)
      • tonsillar
    • Disease, diseased
      • Bretonneau's (diphtheritic malignant angina)
    • Gangrene, gangrenous(connective tissue) (dropsical) (dry) (moist) (skin) (ulcer)
      • throat
        • diphtheritic
    • Paralysis, paralytic(complete) (incomplete)
      • throat
        • diphtheritic
    • Paralysis, paralytic(complete) (incomplete)
      • uvula
        • postdiphtheritic
    • Pharyngitis(acute) (catarrhal)(gangrenous) (infective) (malignant) (membranous) (phlegmonous) (pseudomembranous) (simple) (subacute) (suppurative) (ulcerative) (viral)
      • diphtheritic
    • Sore
      • throat (acute)
        • diphtheritic
    • Tonsillitis(acute) (catarrhal) (croupous) (follicular) (gangrenous) (infective) (lacunar) (lingual) (malignant) (membranous) (parenchymatous) (phlegmonous) (pseudomembranous) (purulent) (septic) (subacute) (suppurative) (toxic) (ulcerative) (vesicular) (viral)
      • diphtheritic
    • Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative
      • throat
        • diphtheritic
    • Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative
      • tonsil
        • diphtheritic

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR INF003
Bacterial infections
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No
CCSR RSP006
Other specified upper respiratory infections
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Faucial Diphtheria

    infection of the fauces by corynebacterium diphtheriae.

Patient EducationClinical

Diphtheria

Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection. You can catch it from a person who has the infection and coughs or sneezes. You can also get infected by coming in contact with an object, such as a toy, that has bacteria on it.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert A36.0 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
032.0 Faucial diphtheria
Exact Match The mapping is direct, with no qualifiers.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2025No changes
FY 2026CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Questions About A36.0Overview

Is A36.0 (Diphtheria) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report pharyngeal diphtheria on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does A36.0 group to?

When pharyngeal diphtheria is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 154, 155, 156, with relative weights from 0.6911 to 1.5635 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of A36.0?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, pharyngeal diphtheria converts to ICD-9-CM 032.0 (faucial diphtheria). The mapping is a direct match.

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.