J04.0 vs J38
J04.0 and J38 can never be reported together. ICD-10-CM declares them mutually exclusive with an Excludes1 note, meaning the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient — so exactly one of them is correct for any given encounter.
The official note, declared on J38
ulcerative laryngitis (J04.0)
J04.0
Acute laryngitis
Billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J00-J06
Use when the record says
- Edematous laryngitis (acute)
- Laryngitis (acute) NOS
- Subglottic laryngitis (acute)
- Suppurative laryngitis (acute)
- Ulcerative laryngitis (acute)
Indexed under
- Glottitis
- Laryngitis (acute) (edematous) (fibrinous) (infective) (infiltrative) (malignant) (membranous) (phlegmonous) (pneumococcal) (pseudomembranous) (septic) (subglottic) (suppurative) (ulcerative)
- Gangrene, gangrenous › laryngitis (connective tissue) (dropsical) (dry) (moist) (skin) (ulcer)
- Laryngitis › Hemophilus influenzae (acute) (edematous) (fibrinous) (infective) (infiltrative) (malignant) (membranous) (phlegmonous) (pneumococcal) (pseudomembranous) (septic) (subglottic) (suppurative) (ulcerative)
- Laryngitis › H. influenzae (acute) (edematous) (fibrinous) (infective) (infiltrative) (malignant) (membranous) (phlegmonous) (pneumococcal) (pseudomembranous) (septic) (subglottic) (suppurative) (ulcerative)
J38
Diseases of vocal cords and larynx, not elsewhere classified
Not billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J30-J39
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