2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J03.81Acute recurrent tonsillitis due to other specified organisms

ICD-10-CM Codes›J00–J99›J00-J06›J03

ICD-10-CM J03.81
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

J03.81 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for acute recurrent tonsillitis due to other specified organisms. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 152 through 153. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Acute and chronic tonsillitis.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
J03.81
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Acute recurrent tonsillitis due to other specified organisms
Short Description
Acute recurrent tonsillitis due to other specified organisms
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
J03.8
Acute tonsillitis due to other specified organisms

Code Classification

ChapterJ00–J99Diseases of the respiratory system
SectionJ00-J06Acute upper respiratory infections
CategoryJ03Acute tonsillitis
This CodeJ03.81Acute recurrent tonsillitis due to other specified organisms

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.

    • Adenoiditis(chronic)
      • acute
        • specified organism NEC
          • recurrent
    • Adenoiditis(chronic)
      • acute
        • staphylococcal
          • recurrent
    • Tonsillitis(acute) (catarrhal) (croupous) (follicular) (gangrenous) (infective) (lacunar) (lingual) (malignant) (membranous) (parenchymatous) (phlegmonous) (pseudomembranous) (purulent) (septic) (subacute) (suppurative) (toxic) (ulcerative) (vesicular) (viral)
      • specified organism NEC
        • recurrent
    • Tonsillitis(acute) (catarrhal) (croupous) (follicular) (gangrenous) (infective) (lacunar) (lingual) (malignant) (membranous) (parenchymatous) (phlegmonous) (pseudomembranous) (purulent) (septic) (subacute) (suppurative) (toxic) (ulcerative) (vesicular) (viral)
      • staphylococcal
        • recurrent

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR RSP004
Acute and chronic tonsillitis
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Tonsillitis

Tonsils are lumps of tissue at the back of the throat. There are two of them, one on each side. Along with the adenoids, tonsils are part of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system clears away infection and keeps body fluids in balance. Tonsils and adenoids work by trapping the germs coming in through the mouth and nose.

The full article covers:

  • What are tonsils?
  • What is tonsillitis?
  • What causes tonsillitis?
  • Who is at risk for tonsillitis?
  • Is tonsillitis contagious?
  • What are the symptoms of tonsillitis?
  • When does my child need to see a health care provider for tonsillitis?
  • How is tonsillitis diagnosed?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert J03.81 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
463 Acute tonsillitis
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

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 J03.81Overview

Is J03.81 (Acute tonsillitis due to other specified organisms) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report acute recurrent tonsillitis due to other specified organisms on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does J03.81 group to?

When acute recurrent tonsillitis due to other specified organisms is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 152, 153, with relative weights from 0.7382 to 1.1822 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of J03.81?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, acute recurrent tonsillitis due to other specified organisms converts to ICD-9-CM 463 (acute tonsillitis). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.

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.