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  5. Asthma (J45)

Asthma (J45)

The ICD-10 code section J45 is used to classify various forms of asthma, a chronic respiratory condition characterized by airway inflammation and breathing difficulties. These codes help specify the type, severity, and presence of complications or exacerbations, supporting precise medical documentation and treatment planning.

This section covers codes from J45.2 to J45.99, including detailed categories like mild intermittent asthma (intermittent allergic asthma, uncontrolled asthma), mild persistent asthma, moderate persistent asthma, and severe persistent asthma. Each severity level has codes differentiating uncomplicated cases, acute exacerbations, or status asthmaticus. For example, J45.20 represents mild intermittent asthma without complications, while J45.21 reflects mild intermittent asthma with an acute exacerbation. Additionally, unspecified asthma types are found under J45.90, which also includes codes for acute episodes such as brittle asthma or intrinsic asthma. Other unique asthma forms, such as exercise induced bronchospasm (J45.990) and cough variant asthma (J45.991), are separately identified. This ICD-10 code range ensures thorough classification of asthma conditions to guide effective care and billing.

Instructional Notations

Includes

This note appears immediately under a three character code title to further define, or give examples of, the content of the category.

  • allergic (predominantly) asthma
  • allergic bronchitis NOS
  • allergic rhinitis with asthma
  • atopic asthma
  • extrinsic allergic asthma
  • hay fever with asthma
  • idiosyncratic asthma
  • intrinsic nonallergic asthma
  • nonallergic asthma

Use Additional Code

The “use additional code” indicates that a secondary code could be used to further specify the patient’s condition. This note is not mandatory and is only used if enough information is available to assign an additional code.

  • code to identify:
  • eosinophilic asthma J82.83
  • exposure to environmental tobacco smoke Z77.22
  • exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period P96.81
  • history of tobacco dependence Z87.891
  • occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke Z57.31
  • tobacco dependence F17
  • tobacco use Z72.0

Type 1 Excludes

A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.

Type 2 Excludes

A type 2 excludes note represents "Not included here". An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.

  • asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease J44.89
  • chronic asthmatic obstructive bronchitis J44.89
  • chronic obstructive asthma J44.89
  • other specified chronic obstructive pulmonary disease J44.89

Clinical Terms

The following clinical terms provide additional context, helping users better understand the clinical background and common associations for each diagnosis listed in this section. Including related terms alongside ICD-10-CM codes supports coders, billers, and healthcare professionals in improving accuracy, enhancing documentation, and facilitating research or patient education.

Airway Remodeling

The structural changes in the number, mass, size and/or composition of the airway tissues.

Asthma

A form of bronchial disorder with three distinct components: airway hyper-responsiveness (RESPIRATORY HYPERSENSITIVITY), airway INFLAMMATION, and intermittent AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION. It is characterized by spasmodic contraction of airway smooth muscle, WHEEZING, and dyspnea (DYSPNEA, PAROXYSMAL).

Asthma, Aspirin-Induced

Asthmatic adverse reaction (e.g., BRONCHOCONSTRICTION) to conventional NSAIDS including aspirin use.

Asthma, Exercise-Induced

Asthma attacks following a period of exercise. Usually the induced attack is short-lived and regresses spontaneously. The magnitude of postexertional airway obstruction is strongly influenced by the environment in which exercise is performed (i.e. inhalation of cold air during physical exertion markedly augments the severity of the airway obstruction; conversely, warm humid air blunts or abolishes it).

Asthma, Occupational

Asthma attacks caused, triggered, or exacerbated by OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE.

Asthma-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap Syndrome

Syndrome with clinical features of both ASTHMA and COPD.

Conyza

A plant genus of the family ASTERACEAE. Members contain alkenynes, daucosterol, friedelinol, conyzasaponins and other TRITERPENES.

Cough-Variant Asthma

Asthma which is characterized by CHRONIC COUGH that is nonproductive without other asthmatic symptoms, e.g., WHEEZING, and PAROXYSMAL DYSPNEA. Cough-variant asthma is accompanied by AIRWAY HYPERSENSITIVITY and may progress to classical asthma without treatment.

Dyspnea, Paroxysmal

A disorder characterized by sudden attacks of respiratory distress in at rest patients with HEART FAILURE and PULMONARY EDEMA. It usually occurs at night after several hours of sleep in a reclining position. Patients awaken with a feeling of suffocation, coughing, a cold sweat, and TACHYCARDIA. When there is significant WHEEZING, it is called CARDIAC ASTHMA.

Occupational Exposure

The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents that occurs as a result of one's occupation.

Status Asthmaticus

A sudden intense and continuous aggravation of a state of asthma, marked by dyspnea to the point of exhaustion and collapse and not responding to the usual therapeutic efforts.

Tylophora

A plant genus of the family ASCLEPIADACEAE. Members contain phenanthro-indolizidine alkaloids.