2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code S27.309SUnspecified injury of lung, unspecified, sequela
S27.309S is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unspecified injury of lung, unspecified, sequela. The 7th character S marks it as a sequela code, which reports a problem that remains after the original condition has resolved. 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. The code is exempt from POA reporting. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Injury, sequela.
Code Identity
Code Classification
Present on Admission (POA)Billing
S27.309S is exempt from POA reporting on inpatient claims to general acute care hospitals. Review other POA exempt codes.
Approximate SynonymsGuidance
Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.
- Acute lung injury
- Chylothorax
- Closed injury of lung
- Direct acute lung injury
- Indirect acute lung injury
- Inhalation injury
- Inhalation injury due to chemical
- Injury due to chemical exposure
- Injury of lung
- Injury of lung with open wound into thorax
- Injury of lung without open wound into thorax
- Injury of pleura, lung or bronchus
- Injury of thoracic cavity
- Injury to heart and lung
- Injury to lung during surgery
- Injury to respiratory system due to inhalation of particulate matter
- Lung injury with sepsis
- Open injury of lung
- Toxic inhalation injury
- Traumatic chylothorax
- Ventilator-associated lung injury
Coding GuidelinesGuidance
The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from block Injury of other and unspecified intrathoracic organs (S27). Use the following options for the applicable episode of care:
- A - initial encounter
- D - subsequent encounter
- S - sequela
Source: ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY 2026, published by CMS and the National Center for Health Statistics.
Clinical ClassificationClinical
AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.
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.Chylothorax
the presence of chyle in the thoracic cavity. (dorland, 27th ed)Traumatic Chylothorax
accumulation of lymph fluid in the pleural cavity as a result of thoracic trauma.Acquired Chylothorax
chylothorax that results from malignancies (usually lymphoma), trauma to the thoracic duct, tuberculosis, or sarcoidosis.Chylothorax
an accumulation of chyle in the pleural cavity.Chylothorax, CTCAE|Chylothorax|Chylothorax|Chylothorax
a disorder characterized by milky pleural effusion (abnormal collection of fluid) resulting from accumulation of lymph fluid in the pleural cavity.Chylothorax|Chylous Pleural Effusion
a milky pleural effusion resulting from accumulation of lymph fluid in the pleural cavity. causes include malignancies (usually lymphoma), trauma to the thoracic duct, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, and congenital causes.Congenital Chylothorax
chylothorax that is present at birth.Grade 1 Chylothorax, CTCAE|Grade 1 Chylothorax|Grade 1 Chylothorax
asymptomatic; clinical or diagnostic observations only; intervention not indicatedGrade 2 Chylothorax, CTCAE|Grade 2 Chylothorax|Grade 2 Chylothorax
symptomatic; medical intervention indicated (e.g., fat-restricted diet); thoracentesis or tube drainage indicatedGrade 3 Chylothorax, CTCAE|Grade 3 Chylothorax|Grade 3 Chylothorax
severe symptoms; elective operative intervention indicatedGrade 4 Chylothorax, CTCAE|Grade 4 Chylothorax|Grade 4 Chylothorax
life-threatening respiratory or hemodynamic compromise; intubation or urgent intervention indicatedGrade 5 Chylothorax, CTCAE|Grade 5 Chylothorax|Grade 5 Chylothorax
death
Patient EducationClinical
Chest Injuries and Disorders
The chest is the part of your body between your neck and your abdomen (belly). The medical term for your chest is thorax.
The full article covers:
- What is the chest?
- What are chest injuries and disorders?
- How are chest injuries and disorders diagnosed?
Read the full article at MedlinePlus
Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Convert S27.309S to ICD-9-CMHistory
The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.
Code HistoryHistory
Questions About S27.309SOverview
Is S27.309S (Unspecified injury of lung, unspecified) a billable code?
Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unspecified injury of lung, unspecified, sequela on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
What does the 7th character S in S27.309S mean?
The final character S makes this a sequela code: it reports a lingering problem that remains after the unspecified injury of lung, unspecified itself has resolved, not the original event.
What MS-DRG does S27.309S group to?
When unspecified injury of lung, unspecified, sequela 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.
Is S27.309S exempt from POA reporting?
Yes. CMS lists this code among those exempt from present on admission reporting, so hospitals do not assign a POA indicator for unspecified injury of lung, unspecified, sequela on inpatient claims.
What is the ICD-9 equivalent of S27.309S?
Under the General Equivalence Mappings, unspecified injury of lung, unspecified, sequela converts to ICD-9-CM 908.0 (late eff int injur chest). 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.
