2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J44.0Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with (acute) lower respiratory infection
ICD-10-CM Codes›J00–J99›J40-J4A›J44
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Chronic Condition
J44.0 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with (acute) lower respiratory infection. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 190 through 192. Coders also document this condition as acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchiectasis.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Acute infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute bronchitis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute lower respiratory infection
Tabular List NotesGuidance
Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.
Code Also
- to identify the infection
A "code also" note instructs that two codes may be required to fully describe a condition, but this note does not provide sequencing direction.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
- Asthma, asthmatic (bronchial) (catarrh) (spasmodic) - J45.909
- with
- chronic obstructive bronchitis - J44.89
- with
- acute lower respiratory infection - J44.0
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - J44.89
- with
- acute lower respiratory infection - J44.0
- chronic obstructive - J44.89
- with
- acute lower respiratory infection - J44.0
- Bronchitis (diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous) - J40
- Disease, diseased - See Also: Syndrome;
- obstructive (chronic) - J44.9
- with
- acute
- bronchitis - J44.0
- lower respiratory infection - J44.0
- bronchitis - J44.89
- with
- lower respiratory infection - J44.0
- pulmonary - See Also: Disease, lung;
- with
- acute bronchitis - J44.0
- lower respiratory infection (acute) - J44.0
External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance
References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.
- Asthma, asthmatic(bronchial) (catarrh) (spasmodic)
- with
- chronic obstructive bronchitis
- with
- acute lower respiratory infection
- Asthma, asthmatic(bronchial) (catarrh) (spasmodic)
- with
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- with
- acute lower respiratory infection
- Asthma, asthmatic(bronchial) (catarrh) (spasmodic)
- chronic obstructive
- with
- acute lower respiratory infection
- Bronchitis(diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- acute or subacute (with bronchospasm or obstruction)
- with
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Bronchitis(diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous)
- asthmatic
- chronic
- with
- acute lower respiratory infection
- Disease, diseased
- lung
- obstructive (chronic)
- with
- acute
- bronchitis
- Disease, diseased
- lung
- obstructive (chronic)
- with
- acute
- lower respiratory infection
- Disease, diseased
- lung
- obstructive (chronic)
- with
- bronchitis
- with
- lower respiratory infection
- Disease, diseased
- pulmonary
- chronic obstructive
- with
- acute bronchitis
- Disease, diseased
- pulmonary
- chronic obstructive
- with
- lower respiratory infection (acute)
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Patient EducationClinical
COPD
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a group of lung diseases that make it hard to breathe and get worse over time.
The full article covers:
- What is COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)?
- What are the types of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)?
- What causes COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)?
- Who is at risk for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)?
- What are the symptoms of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)?
- How is COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) diagnosed?
- What are the treatments for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)?
- Can COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) be prevented?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert J44.0 to ICD-9-CMHistory
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About J44.0Overview
Is J44.0 (Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with (acute) lower respiratory infection on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What MS-DRG does J44.0 group to?
When chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with (acute) lower respiratory infection is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 190, 191, 192, with relative weights from 0.6420 to 1.1077 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of J44.0?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with (acute) lower respiratory infection converts to ICD-9-CM 491.22 (obs chr bronc w ac bronc) and 493.21 (ch ob asthma w stat asth). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.
Footnotes
[1] Chronic - a chronic condition code indicates a condition lasting 12 months or longer and its effect on the patient based on one or both of the following criteria:
- The condition results in the need for ongoing intervention with medical products,treatment, services, and special equipment
- The condition places limitations on self-care, independent living, and social interactions.
