J21
Non-billableAcute bronchiolitis
Acute bronchiolitis
This is a header/category code. For billing purposes, use a more specific child code from the list below.
Coding Notes
Includes
Conditions included under this code
- acute bronchiolitis with bronchospasm
Excludes 2
Conditions not included here, but the patient may have both
- •certain conditions originating in the perinatal periodP04-P96
- •certain infectious and parasitic diseasesA00-B99
- •complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperiumO9A)O00
- •congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalitiesQ00-Q99
- •endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseasesE00-E88
- •injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causesS00-T88
- •neoplasmsC00-D49
- •smoke inhalationT59.81
- •symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classifiedR00-R94
- •chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute lower respiratory infectionJ44.0
- •respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung diseaseJ84.115
Use Additional Code
Additional codes that should follow this code
Child Codes (4)
ICD-11 Equivalents(1)
ICD-11 Equivalents
View full mappingCorresponding ICD-11 codes from the WHO crosswalk mapping
Also Known As / Clinical Terms(12)
UMLS
- Acute BronchiolitisC0001311
- Acute bronchiolitisC0001311
- Acute bronchiolitis (disorder)C0001311
- Acute bronchiolitis, unspecifiedC0001311
- Acute capillary bronchiolitisC0001311
- Bronchiolitis (acute)C0001311
- Capillary pneumoniaC0001311
- acute bronchiolitisC0001311
- bronchiolitis acuteC0001311
- Acute bronchiolitis with bronchospasmC0264367
- Acute bronchiolitis with bronchospasm (disorder)C0264367
- acute bronchiolitis with bronchospasmC0264367
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ICD-10 code for acute bronchiolitis?
The ICD-10-CM code for acute bronchiolitis is J21. The full clinical description is "Acute bronchiolitis". J21 is a non-billable header code. Use a more specific child code for billing purposes.
What does ICD-10 code J21 mean?
ICD-10-CM code J21 represents “Acute bronchiolitis”. It is classified under Chapter 10: Diseases of the Respiratory System and is a non-billable header code. Use a more specific child code for billing purposes.
Is J21 a billable code?
No, J21 is a non-billable header code. You need to use one of its more specific child codes for billing. There are 4 child codes under J21.
What chapter is J21 in?
J21 is in Chapter 10: Diseases of the Respiratory System (codes J00-J99).
What are the subcategories under J21?
J21 has 4 child codes, including: J21.0 (Acute bronchiolitis due to respiratory syncytial virus), J21.1 (Acute bronchiolitis due to human metapneumovirus), J21.8 (Acute bronchiolitis due to other specified organisms), J21.9 (Acute bronchiolitis, unspecified).
Are additional codes required with J21?
Yes, when using J21, also report: code, where applicable, to identify:; 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).
What are the UMLS CUIs for J21?
J21 is linked to 2 UMLS Concept Unique Identifiers: C0001311, C0264367. The UMLS (Unified Medical Language System) integrates multiple biomedical vocabularies maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
How does J21 relate to ICF functioning codes?
ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) codes describe how conditions like acute bronchiolitis affect a person's functioning — body functions, activities, participation, and environmental factors. AutoICD provides ICF Core Sets for 12+ conditions and can map clinical text to ICF categories automatically. Browse the ICF directory to explore functioning codes.
What is the ICD-11 equivalent of J21?
J21 maps to the ICD-11 code: CA41.Z (Acute bronchiolitis, unspecified).
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Includes SNOMED Clinical Terms® (SNOMED CT®) used by permission of SNOMED International. Includes content from the UMLS Metathesaurus, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.