Excludes1 pair
J01- vs J32.9
J01 and J32.9 are not coded together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note — the two conditions are not expected to occur together, so exactly one of them is normally correct for a given encounter. The Official Guidelines carve out one exception: if the two conditions are clearly unrelated to each other, both may be reported. The distinction is acute vs chronic.
The official note, declared on J01
sinusitis NOS (J32.9)
J01
Acute sinusitis
Not billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J00-J06
Use when the record says
- acute abscess of sinus
- acute empyema of sinus
- acute infection of sinus
- acute inflammation of sinus
- acute suppuration of sinus
J32.9
Chronic sinusitis, unspecified
BillableUnspecified
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J30-J39
Use when the record says
- Sinusitis (chronic) NOS
Indexed under
- Sinusitis (accessory) (chronic) (hyperplastic) (nasal) (nonpurulent) (purulent)
- Abscess › nasal
- Degeneration, degenerative › nasal sinus (mucosa)
- Pyocele › turbinate (bone)
Excludes1 is not always absolute: where two conditions covered by the note are genuinely unrelated, CMS guidance permits reporting both. Document the reasoning rather than assuming it. More on Excludes1 vs Excludes2 · FY2027