2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J20.9

Acute bronchitis, unspecified

ICD-10-CM Code:
J20.9
ICD-10 Code for:
Acute bronchitis, 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 bronchitis
        (J20)

J20.9 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of acute bronchitis, 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 J20.9 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 bronchitis
  • Acute bronchitis
  • Acute bronchitis co-occurrent with wheeze
  • Acute bronchitis with bronchospasm
  • Acute bronchitis with obstruction
  • Acute bronchospasm
  • Acute fibrinous bronchitis
  • Acute fibrinous laryngotracheobronchitis
  • Acute infective bronchitis
  • Acute infective tracheobronchitis
  • Acute laryngotracheitis
  • Acute noninfective bronchitis
  • Acute purulent bronchitis
  • Acute tracheitis
  • Acute tracheitis
  • Acute tracheitis
  • Acute tracheitis with obstruction
  • Acute tracheobronchitis
  • Bronchitis
  • Bronchitis co-occurrent with acute wheeze
  • Bronchitis co-occurrent with chronic wheeze
  • Bronchitis co-occurrent with wheeze
  • Bronchitis co-occurrent with wheeze
  • Bronchospasm
  • Laryngotracheobronchitis
  • Obstruction of bronchus
  • Obstruction of bronchus
  • Obstruction of bronchus
  • Obstruction of larynx
  • Obstruction of trachea
  • Plastic bronchitis
  • Purulent bronchitis
  • Septic bronchitis
  • Subacute bronchitis
  • Wheezing
  • Wheezing
  • Wheezing
  • Wheezing

Clinical Classification

Clinical Information

  • Bronchitis

    inflammation of the large airways in the lung including any part of the bronchi, from the primary bronchi to the tertiary bronchi.
  • Bronchitis, Chronic

    a subcategory of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. the disease is characterized by hypersecretion of mucus accompanied by a chronic (more than 3 months in 2 consecutive years) productive cough. infectious agents are a major cause of chronic bronchitis.
  • Infectious bronchitis virus

    a species of coronavirus causing infections in chickens and possibly pheasants. chicks up to four weeks old are the most severely affected.
  • Coronavirus

    a member of coronaviridae which causes respiratory or gastrointestinal disease in a variety of vertebrates.
  • Acute Bronchitis

    acute inflammation and edema of the larger bronchi caused by viruses or bacteria. signs and symptoms include cough, sputum production, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
  • 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

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 J20.9 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 466.0 - Acute bronchitis
    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


Acute Bronchitis

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the airways that carry air to your lungs. It causes a cough that often brings up mucus. It can also cause shortness of breath, wheezing, a low fever, and chest tightness. There are two main types of bronchitis: acute and chronic.

Most cases of acute bronchitis get better within several days. But your cough can last for several weeks after the infection is gone.

The same viruses that cause colds and the flu often cause acute bronchitis. These viruses spread through the air when people cough, or though physical contact (for example, on unwashed hands). Being exposed to tobacco smoke, air pollution, dusts, vapors, and fumes can also cause acute bronchitis. Less often, bacteria can also cause acute bronchitis.

To diagnose acute bronchitis, your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and listen to your breathing. You may also have other tests.

Treatments include rest, fluids, and aspirin (for adults) or acetaminophen to treat fever. A humidifier or steam can also help. You may need inhaled medicine to open your airways if you are wheezing. Antibiotics won't help if the cause is viral. You may get antibiotics if the cause is bacterial.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute


[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.