J02.9
Billable codeAcute pharyngitis, unspecified
The ICD-10 code for acute pharyngitis, unspecified is J02.9.
Clinical notes
Excludes1 (not coded here)
An Excludes1 note is a pure exclusion: the excluded condition and this code should never be reported together, because the two conditions cannot occur at the same time (e.g. a congenital form vs. an acquired form of the same disease).
Also known as
Alternate wording, synonyms, or specific conditions that fall under this code, listed to help confirm you've picked the right one.
- Gangrenous pharyngitis (acute)
- Infective pharyngitis (acute) NOS
- Pharyngitis (acute) NOS
- Sore throat (acute) NOS
- Suppurative pharyngitis (acute)
- Ulcerative pharyngitis (acute)
Documentation support
General coding-documentation guidance — not a substitute for payer-specific requirements or professional coding judgment.
- •This code describes an unspecified presentation. If the medical record documents a more specific detail (e.g. laterality, type, or affected site), a more specific sibling code should be used instead — see Related codes below.
- •Confirm the excluded condition(s) listed above are not also present — Excludes1 conditions cannot be coded together with this one.
- •As a general rule, code to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation in the medical record.
Related codes in this category
- J02.0Streptococcal pharyngitis
- J02.8Acute pharyngitis due to other specified organisms
- J02.9Acute pharyngitis, unspecified
ICD-9-CM equivalent
Informational only — GEM mappings are approximate, not guaranteed one-to-one equivalents. Verify before use in billing.
- 462Approximate match
Associated MS-DRGs
J02.9 can serve as the principal diagnosis for these Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Groups.
Informational only — actual DRG assignment also depends on procedures, complications/comorbidities (CC/MCC), discharge status, and payer-specific rules not reflected here.
- DRG 011Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy with MCC
- DRG 012Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy with CC
- DRG 013Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy without CC/MCC
- DRG 152Otitis Media and URI with MCC
- DRG 153Otitis Media and URI without MCC