2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J40Bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic
ICD-10-CM Codes›J00–J99›J40-J4A›J40
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
J40 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 202 through 203. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Acute bronchitis.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Bronchial irritation
- Bronchitis
- Bronchitis co-occurrent with acute wheeze
- Bronchitis co-occurrent with chronic wheeze
- Bronchitis co-occurrent with wheeze
- Infectious disorder of bronchus
- Laryngotracheobronchitis
- Occupational bronchitis
- Plastic bronchitis
- Plastic bronchitis after cardiac procedure
- Postoperative bronchitis
- Septic bronchitis
- Tracheobronchitis
Tabular List NotesGuidance
Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.
Inclusion Terms
- Bronchitis NOS
- Bronchitis with tracheitis NOS
- Catarrhal bronchitis
- Tracheobronchitis NOS
Use Additional Code
- code 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
Type 1 Excludes
- acute bronchitis J20
- allergic bronchitis NOS J45.909
- asthmatic bronchitis NOS J45.9
- bronchitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors J68.0
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.
The “use additional code” indicates that a secondary code could be used to further specify the patient’s condition. This note is not mandatory and is only used if enough information is available to assign an additional code.
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 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.
- Bronchitis(diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- Bronchitis(diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- with
- tracheitis (l5 years of age and above)
- Bronchitis(diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- catarrhal (l5 years of age and above)
- Tracheitis(catarrhal) (infantile) (membranous) (plastic) (septal) (suppurative) (viral)
- with
- bronchitis (15 years of age and above)
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Clinical InformationClinical
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.Croup|Acute Obstructive Laryngitis|Laryngotracheitis|Laryngotracheobronchitis
acute upper respiratory airways infection that results in the swelling of the larynx. it is usually caused by parainfluenza viruses. signs include a characteristic barking cough and stridor.Tracheobronchitis
inflammation of the tracheobronchial tree.
Patient EducationClinical
Bronchial Disorders
When you breathe in, the air travels down through your trachea (windpipe). It then goes through two tubes to your lungs. These tubes are your bronchi. Bronchial disorders can make it hard for you to breathe.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert J40 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About J40Overview
Is J40 (Bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What MS-DRG does J40 group to?
When bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 202, 203, with relative weights from 0.6700 to 0.9712 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of J40?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic converts to ICD-9-CM 490 (bronchitis NOS). 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.
