2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J95.821Acute postprocedural respiratory failure

ICD-10-CM Codes›J00–J99›J95›J95

ICD-10-CM J95.821
CMSSource: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026

J95.821 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for acute postprocedural respiratory failure. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026) and groups to MS-DRG 928 through 929. Coders also document this condition as acute lung injury. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Postprocedural or postoperative respiratory system complication and Respiratory failure; insufficiency; arrest.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
J95.821
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Acute postprocedural respiratory failure
Short Description
Acute postprocedural respiratory failure
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
J95.82
Postprocedural respiratory failure

Code Classification

ChapterJ00–J99Diseases of the respiratory system
SectionJ95Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of respiratory system, not elsewhere classified
CategoryJ95Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of respiratory system, not elsewhere classified
This CodeJ95.821Acute postprocedural respiratory failure

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Acute lung injury
  • Acute respiratory failure requiring reintubation
  • Indirect acute lung injury
  • Post extubation acute respiratory failure requiring reintubation
  • Postprocedural respiratory failure
  • Trauma and postoperative pulmonary insufficiency

Tabular List NotesGuidance

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

Inclusion Terms

  • Postprocedural respiratory failure NOS

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.

    • Complication(s) (from) (of)
      • respiratory system
        • postoperative
          • respiratory failure (acute)
    • Failure, failed
      • respiration, respiratory
        • postprocedural (acute)

Clinical ClassificationClinical

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

CCSR RSP017
Postprocedural or postoperative respiratory system complication
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes
CCSR RSP012
Respiratory failure; insufficiency; arrest
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient No · outpatient No

Clinical InformationClinical

  • Acute Lung Injury

    a condition of lung damage that is characterized by bilateral pulmonary infiltrates (pulmonary edema) rich in neutrophils, and in the absence of clinical heart failure. this can represent a spectrum of pulmonary lesions, endothelial and epithelial, due to numerous factors (physical, chemical, or biological).

  • Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury

    a rare but serious transfusion-related reaction in which fluid builds up in the lungs unrelated to excessively high infusion rate and/or volume (transfusion-associated circulatory overload). signs of transfusion-related acute lung injury include pulmonary secretions; hypotension; fever; dyspnea; tachypnea; tachycardia; and cyanosis.

Patient EducationClinical

Respiratory Failure

Respiratory failure is a condition in which your blood doesn't have enough oxygen or has too much carbon dioxide. Sometimes you can have both problems.

The full article covers:

  • What is respiratory failure?
  • What causes respiratory failure?
  • What are the symptoms of respiratory failure?
  • How is respiratory failure diagnosed?
  • What are the treatments for respiratory failure?

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

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

Convert J95.821 to ICD-9-CMHistory

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

ICD-9-CM
518.51 Ac resp flr fol trma/srg
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

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 J95.821Overview

Is J95.821 (Postprocedural respiratory failure) a billable code?

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

What MS-DRG does J95.821 group to?

When acute postprocedural respiratory failure is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 928, 929, with relative weights from 3.2208 to 7.1727 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of J95.821?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, acute postprocedural respiratory failure converts to ICD-9-CM 518.51 (ac resp flr fol trma/srg). The mapping is approximate, so confirm the match fits the documentation.

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.