2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J68.2Upper respiratory inflammation due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors, not elsewhere classified

ICD-10-CM Codes›J00–J99›J60-J70›J68

ICD-10-CM J68.2
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

J68.2 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for upper respiratory inflammation due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors, not elsewhere classified. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 205 through 206. Coders also document this condition as inflammation of upper respiratory tract caused by fumes. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Lung disease due to external agents.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
J68.2
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Upper respiratory inflammation due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors, not elsewhere classified
Short Description
Upper resp inflam d/t chemicals, gas, fumes and vapors, NEC
Parent Code
J68
Respiratory conditions due to inhalation of chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors

Code Classification

ChapterJ00–J99Diseases of the respiratory system
SectionJ60-J70Lung diseases due to external agents
CategoryJ68Respiratory conditions due to inhalation of chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors
This CodeJ68.2Upper respiratory inflammation due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors, not elsewhere classified

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Inflammation of upper respiratory tract caused by fumes
  • Inflammation of upper respiratory tract caused by vapor
  • Respiratory condition caused by vapor

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.

    • Inflammation, inflamed, inflammatory(with exudation)
      • respiratory, upper
        • due to
          • chemicals, gases, fumes or vapors (inhalation)

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR RSP013
Lung disease due to external agents
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Interstitial Lung Diseases

Interstitial lung disease is the name for a large group of diseases that inflame or scar the lungs. The inflammation and scarring make it hard to get enough oxygen. The scarring is called pulmonary fibrosis.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert J68.2 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
506.2 Fum/vapor up resp inflam
Exact Match The mapping is direct, with no qualifiers.

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 J68.2Overview

Is J68.2 a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report upper respiratory inflammation due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors, not elsewhere classified on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does J68.2 group to?

When upper respiratory inflammation due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors, not elsewhere classified is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 205, 206, with relative weights from 0.9411 to 1.8310 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of J68.2?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, upper respiratory inflammation due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors, not elsewhere classified converts to ICD-9-CM 506.2 (fum/vapor up resp inflam). 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.