J04.2 vs J05.0
J04.2 and J05.0 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 J04.2
acute obstructive laryngotracheitis (J05.0)
J04.2
Acute laryngotracheitis
Billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J00-J06
Use when the record says
- Laryngotracheitis NOS
- Tracheitis (acute) with laryngitis (acute)
Indexed under
- Laryngotracheitis (acute) (Infectional) (infective) (viral)
- Laryngotracheitis › Hemophilus influenzae (acute) (Infectional) (infective) (viral)
- Laryngotracheitis › streptococcal (acute) (Infectional) (infective) (viral)
- Tracheitis › with › laryngitis (catarrhal) (infantile) (membranous) (plastic) (septal) (suppurative) (viral)
J05.0
Acute obstructive laryngitis [croup]
Billable
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J00-J06
Use when the record says
- Obstructive laryngitis (acute) NOS
- Obstructive laryngotracheitis NOS
Indexed under
- Croup, croupous (catarrhal) (infectious) (inflammatory) (nondiphtheritic)
- Angina › croupous (attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
- Angina › membranous (attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
- Angina › trachealis (attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
- Laryngitis › obstructive (acute) (edematous) (fibrinous) (infective) (infiltrative) (malignant) (membranous) (phlegmonous) (pneumococcal) (pseudomembranous) (septic) (subglottic) (suppurative) (ulcerative)
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