2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J70.9Respiratory conditions due to unspecified external agent

ICD-10-CM Codes›J00–J99›J60-J70›J70

ICD-10-CM J70.9
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

J70.9 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for respiratory conditions due to unspecified external agent. 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. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Lung disease due to external agents.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
J70.9
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Respiratory conditions due to unspecified external agent
Short Description
Respiratory conditions due to unspecified external agent
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
J70
Respiratory conditions due to other external agents

Code Classification

ChapterJ00–J99Diseases of the respiratory system
SectionJ60-J70Lung diseases due to external agents
CategoryJ70Respiratory conditions due to other external agents
This CodeJ70.9Respiratory conditions due to unspecified external agent

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Acute toxic tracheobronchitis
  • Acute tracheitis
  • Acute tracheobronchitis
  • Environmental lung disease
  • Interruption of respiration caused by foreign body in esophagus
  • Lung disease due to external agents
  • Millers' asthma
  • Pulmonary aspiration
  • Respiratory compression due to foreign body in esophagus
  • Respiratory disorder caused by drug
  • Respiratory obstruction due to foreign body in esophagus
  • Silo-fillers' disease
  • Toxic pulmonary edema
  • Weavers' cough

Tabular List NotesGuidance

Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.

Code First

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.

    • Disease, diseased
      • respiratory (tract)
        • acute or subacute NOS
          • due to
            • external agent
    • Disease, diseased
      • respiratory (tract)
        • chronic NOS
          • due to
            • external agent
    • Disease, diseased
      • respiratory (tract)
        • due to
          • external agent
    • Edema, edematous(infectious) (pitting) (toxic)
      • lung
        • chronic
          • due to
            • external agent
    • Edema, edematous(infectious) (pitting) (toxic)
      • lung
        • due to
          • external agent

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

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 J70.9 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
508.9 Resp cond: ext agent NOS
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 J70.9Overview

Is J70.9 (Respiratory conditions due to other external agents) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report respiratory conditions due to unspecified external agent on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What MS-DRG does J70.9 group to?

When respiratory conditions due to unspecified external agent 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 J70.9?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, respiratory conditions due to unspecified external agent converts to ICD-9-CM 508.9 (resp cond: ext agent 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.