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J81

Non-billable

Pulmonary edema

J81 is the ICD-10-CM code for Pulmonary edema. It is a non-billable category code — use a more specific child code such as J81.0 for billing.

Status
Header (non-billable)
Chapter
J00-J99
Subcodes
2
Edition
FY2026

J00-J99 Diseases of the respiratory system

What this means — in plain language

MedlinePlus · NIH

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. If all types of lung disease are lumped together, it is the number three killer in the United States. The term lung…

Read more about Lung Diseases at MedlinePlus ↗

Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus). Informational only — not medical advice.

Excludes1 — not coded here

  • •chemical (acute) pulmonary edema (J68.1)
  • •hypostatic pneumonia (J18.2)
  • •passive pneumonia (J18.2)
  • •pulmonary edema due to external agents (J60-J70)
  • •pulmonary edema with heart disease NOS (I50.1)
  • •pulmonary edema with heart failure (I50.1)

Use additional code

  • •code to identify:
  • •exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)
  • •history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)
  • •occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)
  • •tobacco dependence (F17.-)
  • •tobacco use (Z72.0)

Frequently asked questions

What is ICD-10 code J81?
J81 is the ICD-10-CM code for "Pulmonary edema". It falls under J00-J99 Diseases of the respiratory system.
Is J81 a billable code?
No — J81 is a non-billable header code. Use a more specific child code (such as J81.0) for billing.
What are the subcodes of J81?
J81 has 2 more specific child codes, including J81.0, J81.1.
What is excluded from J81?
Excludes1 (not coded here): chemical (acute) pulmonary edema (J68.1); hypostatic pneumonia (J18.2); passive pneumonia (J18.2); pulmonary edema due to external agents (J60-J70).

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM FY2026. For informational purposes only — not medical advice. See our medical disclaimer.

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