2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R06.89Other abnormalities of breathing
ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R00-R09›R06
- Billable — Valid for Submission
- Not Chronic
R06.89 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for other abnormalities of breathing. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). As a symptom code, it should not be used as a principal diagnosis once a related definitive diagnosis has been established. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Respiratory signs and symptoms.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Abnormal respiratory rate
- Abnormal respiratory rhythm
- Accessory respiratory muscles used
- Acute hypoventilation
- Agonal respiration
- Air hunger
- Apneusis
- Ataxic respiration
- Audible inspiration
- Biphasic movement of lower ribs
- Breath holding spell
- Breath holding with temper
- Bubbling respiration
- Cannot blow
- Cannot breathe deeply enough
- Catching breath
- Chest expansion - finding
- Chest expansion reduced
- Chest movement absent
- Chest movement appearance finding
- Chest movement unequal
- Chest wall retraction
- Chronic hypercapnia
- Chronic hypoventilation
- Chronic respiratory insufficiency
- Cluster breathing
- Croupy breathing
- Crowing respiration
- Death rattle
- Decreased respiratory function
- Deep breathing
- Depth of breathing uneven
- Depth of respiration varies
- Diaphragmatic breathing
- Difficulty controlling breathing
- Difficulty expectorating
- Difficulty huffing
- Difficulty taking deep breaths
- Difficulty to clear sputum
- Dissociation of movement of chest wall
- Does not clear sputum
- Does not control breathing
- Does not expectorate
- Does not huff
- Does not take deep breaths
- Excessively deep breathing
- Expiratory grunting
- Finding of movement of trachea
- Finding of respiratory effort
- Finding of respiratory rate
- Finding of route of breathing
- Finding related to ability to clear sputum
- Finding related to ability to control breathing
- Finding related to ability to expectorate
- Finding related to ability to huff
- Finding related to ability to take deep breaths
- Fish-mouthing
- Flared nostrils
- Genetic syndromic childhood obesity
- Glossopharyngeal breathing
- Groaning respiration
- Grunting baby
- Grunting respiration
- Hissing respiration
- Hypercapnia
- Hypercapnia with mixed acid-base disorder
- Hypoventilation
- Impaired gas exchange
- Impaired spontaneous ventilation
- Ineffective airway clearance
- Ineffective breathing pattern
- Intercostal recession
- Interrupted breathing
- Irregular breathing
- Kussmaul's respiration
- Labored breathing
- Lack of respiratory drive
- Left side of chest moves less than right
- Lethal pontocerebellar hypoplasia, hypotonia, respiratory insufficiency syndrome
- Meningitic respiration
- Mixed acid-base balance disorder
- Neonatal hypotonia
- Neonatal neuromuscular disorder
- Noisy respiration
- Obstructive ventilatory defect
- Paradoxic movement of lower ribs
- Paradoxical chest movement
- Paradoxical respiration
- Partial neck breather
- Pleuritic breathing
- Poor respiratory drive
- Primary alveolar hypoventilation
- Prolonged expiration
- Pulmonary hypertension associated with chronic underventilation
- Pulmonary hypertension due to lung disease and/or hypoxia
- Pursed-lip breathing
- Rapid-onset childhood obesity, hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation, autonomic dysregulation syndrome
- Rattling breathing
- Regional ventilation differences
- Respiratory alteration
- Respiratory depression caused by opioid
- Respiratory insufficiency
- Respiratory insufficiency syndrome of newborn
- Restrained respiration
- Right side of chest moves less than left
- Shallow breathing
- Sighing respiration
- Slow respiration
- Slow shallow breathing
- Sobbing respiration
- Sternal recession
- Stertorous breathing
- Stops breathing
- Subcostal recession
- Supraclavicular recession
- Suprasternal recession
- Symmetry of chest movement - finding
- Temper problem
- Thoracic breathing
- Total neck breather
- Trachea moves down on inspiration
- Tracheal breathing
- Unable to breathe
- Unable to clear sputum
- Unable to control breathing
- Unable to expectorate
- Unable to huff
- Unable to take deep breaths
- Unequal ventilation
- Urgent desire to deep breathe
- Ventilatory defect
- Whistling in nose
- Whistling respiration
- Whooping respiration
Tabular List NotesGuidance
Coding notes and annotation back-references applicable to this code.
Inclusion Terms
- Breath-holding (spells)
- Sighing
These terms are the conditions for which that code is to be used. The terms may be synonyms of the code title, or, in the case of "other specified" codes, the terms are a list of the various conditions assigned to that code. The inclusion terms are not necessarily exhaustive. Additional terms found only in the Alphabetic Index may also be assigned to a code.
Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance
Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.
- Bradypnea - R06.89
- Breath
- holder, child - R06.89
- holding spell - R06.89
- Hypercapnia - R06.89
- Hypoventilation - R06.89
- respiratory - R06.89
- breathing - R06.89
- respiratory - R06.89
- Narcosis - R06.89
- insufficient, or poor - R06.89
- Sighing - R06.89
- Yawning - R06.89
External Cause of Injuries IndexGuidance
References for this code in the External Cause of Injuries Index.
- Bradypnea
- Breath
- holder, child
- Breath
- holding spell
- Hypercapnia
- Hypoventilation
- Inadequate, inadequacy
- pulmonary
- function
- Insufficiency, insufficient
- respiratory
- Irregular, irregularity
- breathing
- Irregular, irregularity
- respiratory
- Narcosis
- Respiration
- insufficient, or poor
- Sighing
- Yawning
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
Clinical InformationClinical
Hypercapnia
a clinical manifestation of abnormal increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in arterial blood.Hypoventilation
a reduction in the amount of air entering the pulmonary alveoli.Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome
hypoventilation syndrome in very obese persons with excessive adipose tissue around the abdomen and diaphragm. it is characterized by diminished to absent ventilatory chemoresponsiveness; chronic hypoxia; hypercapnia; polycythemia; and long periods of sleep during day and night (hypersomnolence). it is a condition often related to obstructive sleep apnea but can occur separately.Sleep Apnea, Central
a condition associated with multiple episodes of sleep apnea which are distinguished from obstructive sleep apnea (sleep apnea, obstructive) by the complete cessation of efforts to breathe. this disorder is associated with dysfunction of central nervous system centers that regulate respiration.Respiratory Insufficiency
failure to adequately provide oxygen to cells of the body and to remove excess carbon dioxide from them. (stedman, 25th ed)Have Asthma and Experienced Symptoms or Used Rescue Medications More than Twice in Last Week Question|Have Asthma and Experienced Symptoms or Used Rescue Medications More than Twice in Last Week|If asthmatic, do you currently have symptoms of chest tightness, wheezing, labored breathing, consistent cough (more than 2 days/week), or have you used your rescue medication more than twice in the last week
a question about whether an individual, if asthmatic, currently has symptoms of chest tightness, wheezing, labored breathing, consistent cough (more than 2 days/week), or have used their rescue medication more than twice in the last week.Labored Breathing
breathing that requires observed effort or an increased amount of energy.Congenital Central Hypoventilation |Central Hypoventilation Syndrome|Congenital Central Hypoventilation|Congenital Central Hypoventilation|Congenital Central Hypoventilation|Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome
a disorder characterized by hypoventilation and hypoxemia. it appears early in life and is not associated with cardiopulmonary or neuromuscular abnormalities.Hypoventilation
a state in which there is a reduced amount of air entering the pulmonary alveoli.Morbid (Severe) Obesity with Alveolar Hypoventilation|Morbid (severe) obesity with alveolar hypoventilation
evidence of morbid (severe) obesity with alveolar hypoventilation.Rapid-Onset Obesity with Hypothalamic Dysfunction, Hypoventilation, and Autonomic Dysregulation|ROHHAD|ROHHAD|ROHHAD Syndrome|Rapid-Onset Obesity with Hypothalamic Dysfunction, Hypoventilation, and Autonomic Dysregulation Syndrome
a very rare disorder that appears after the first year and a half of life in previously healthy children. it is characterized by rapid-onset weight gain, hypothalamic dysfunction, breathing abnormalities, and autonomic system dysregulation. the hypothalamic dysfunction manifestations include inability to maintain normal water balance, high prolactin levels, low thyroid, low cortisol, and early or late puberty. the breathing abnormalities include sleep apnea and alveolar hypoventilation, requiring ventilation support. the autonomic system dysregulation includes eye abnormalities, intestinal abnormalities, temperature dysregulation, and low heart rhythm. this disorder requires early recognition because it may lead to cardiorespiratory arrest. up to 40% of the patients develop tumors of neural crest origin.
Patient EducationClinical
Breathing Problems
When you're short of breath, it's hard or uncomfortable for you to take in the oxygen your body needs. You may feel as if you're not getting enough air. Sometimes you can have mild breathing problems because of a stuffy nose or intense exercise. But shortness of breath can also be a sign of a serious disease.
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert R06.89 to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About R06.89Overview
Is R06.89 (Other abnormalities of breathing) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report other abnormalities of breathing on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
Can R06.89 be a principal diagnosis?
Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the other abnormalities of breathing is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of R06.89?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, other abnormalities of breathing converts to ICD-9-CM 784.99 (head & neck symptoms NEC), 786.09 (respiratory abnorm NEC), and 786.9 (resp sys/chest symp NEC). 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.
