2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J22Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection

ICD-10-CM Codes›J00–J99›J20-J22›J22

ICD-10-CM J22
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

J22 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified acute lower respiratory infection. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 205 through 206. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Other specified and unspecified lower respiratory disease.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
J22
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection
Short Description
Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Chapter
J20-J22
Other acute lower respiratory infections

Code Classification

ChapterJ00–J99Diseases of the respiratory system
SectionJ20-J22Other acute lower respiratory infections
CategoryJ22Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection
This CodeJ22Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Acute lower respiratory infection caused by respiratory syncytial virus
  • Acute lower respiratory tract infection
  • Acute respiratory infections
  • Bacterial lower respiratory infection
  • COVID-19
  • Infection of lower respiratory tract and mediastinum
  • Infection of lower respiratory tract caused by SARS-CoV-2
  • Lower respiratory tract infection
  • Postoperative lower respiratory tract infection
  • Severe acute respiratory infection
  • Viral lower respiratory infection

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to J22: its own notes plus those printed at block J20-J22 and Chapter 10. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

Applicable To

Conditions this code is used for: synonyms of the title or, for "other specified" codes, the conditions assigned to it. The list is not exhaustive.

  • Acute (lower) respiratory (tract) infection NOS

Excludes1

Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • upper respiratory infection (acute) (J06.9)

Excludes2

Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may be reported.

From Block J20-J22 Other acute lower respiratory infections applies to 15 codes
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute lower respiratory infection (J44.0)
From Chapter 10 (J00-J99) Diseases of the respiratory system applies to 366 codes
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
  • certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
  • complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
  • congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
  • endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
  • injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
  • neoplasms (C00-D49)
  • smoke inhalation (T59.81-)
  • symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)

Use Additional Code

Add a second code, after this one, to fully describe the condition.

From Chapter 10 (J00-J99) Diseases of the respiratory system applies to 366 codes
  • code, where applicable, to identify:
  • exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)
  • exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81)
  • history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)
  • occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)
  • tobacco dependence (F17.-)
  • tobacco use (Z72.0)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 10 (J00-J99) Diseases of the respiratory system applies to 366 codes
  • When a respiratory condition is described as occurring in more than one site and is not specifically indexed, it should be classified to the lower anatomic site (e.g. tracheobronchitis to bronchitis in J40).

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name J22, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 2

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming J22: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • J06 Acute upper respiratory infections of multiple and unspecified sites
    acute respiratory infection NOS (J22)
  • J39 Other diseases of upper respiratory tract
    acute respiratory infection NOS (J22)

Code Also 1

These codes say J22 may also be needed to fully describe the condition. The note gives no sequencing direction.

  • D81.82 Activated Phosphoinositide 3-kinase Delta Syndrome [APDS]
    other acute respiratory tract infections (J00-J06; J20-J22) names J20-J22, which includes this code

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR RSP016
Other specified and unspecified lower respiratory disease
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Lung Diseases

When you breathe, your lungs take in oxygen from the air and deliver it to the bloodstream. The cells in your body need oxygen to work and grow. During a normal day, you breathe nearly 25,000 times. People with lung disease have difficulty breathing. Millions of people in the U.S. have lung disease.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert J22 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
519.8 Resp system disease NEC
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 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About J22Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for unspecified acute lower respiratory infection?

The ICD-10-CM code for unspecified acute lower respiratory infection is J22. It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is J22 (Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified acute lower respiratory infection on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does J22 group to?

When unspecified acute lower respiratory infection is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 206, 205, with relative weights from 0.9255 to 1.8244 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can J22 be reported with J06.9?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note on J22 lists "upper respiratory infection (acute) (J06.9)". An Excludes1 note means the excluded code is never reported together with this one; the only exception is when the two conditions are unrelated to each other (Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of J22?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified acute lower respiratory infection converts to ICD-9-CM 519.8 (resp system disease NEC). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.