2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J81.0Acute pulmonary edema

ICD-10-CM Codes›J00–J99›J80-J84›J81

ICD-10-CM J81.0
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

J81.0 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for acute pulmonary edema. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). Coders also document this condition as acute cardiac pulmonary edema. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Other specified and unspecified lower respiratory disease.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
J81.0
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Acute pulmonary edema
Short Description
Acute pulmonary edema
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
J81
Pulmonary edema

Code Classification

ChapterJ00–J99Diseases of the respiratory system
SectionJ80-J84Other respiratory diseases principally affecting the interstitium
CategoryJ81Pulmonary edema
This CodeJ81.0Acute pulmonary edema

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Acute cardiac pulmonary edema
  • Acute edema
  • Acute pulmonary edema
  • Fluid overload pulmonary edema
  • Negative pressure pulmonary edema
  • Post-upper airway obstruction pulmonary edema

Tabular List NotesGuidance

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

Inclusion Terms

  • Acute edema of lung

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.

    • Edema, edematous(infectious) (pitting) (toxic)
      • lung
        • acute

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

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Pulmonary Edema

    excessive accumulation of extravascular fluid in the lung, an indication of a serious underlying disease or disorder. pulmonary edema prevents efficient pulmonary gas exchange in the pulmonary alveoli, and can be life-threatening.

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 J81.0 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
518.4 Acute lung edema 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 J81.0Overview

Is J81.0 (Pulmonary edema) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report acute pulmonary edema on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of J81.0?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, acute pulmonary edema converts to ICD-9-CM 518.4 (acute lung edema 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.