Excludes1 pair
J18.2 vs J81-
J18.2 and J81 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 official note, declared on J81
hypostatic pneumonia (J18.2)
J18.2
Hypostatic pneumonia, unspecified organism
BillableUnspecified
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J09-J18
Use when the record says
- Hypostatic bronchopneumonia
- Passive pneumonia
Indexed under
- Anasarca › lung
- Anasarca › pulmonary
- Pneumonia › adynamic
- Pneumonia › hypostatic (broncho) (lobar)
- Pneumonia › orthostatic
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