J69.0 vs O74.0
J69.0 and O74.0 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.
Pneumonitis due to inhalation of food and vomit
- Chapter 10
- Diseases of the respiratory system
- Section
- J60-J70
- Aspiration pneumonia NOS
- Aspiration pneumonia (due to) food (regurgitated)
- Aspiration pneumonia (due to) gastric secretions
- Aspiration pneumonia (due to) milk
- Aspiration pneumonia (due to) vomit
- Aspiration › bronchitis
- Aspiration › pneumonia
- Aspiration › pneumonitis
- Bronchitis › aspiration (due to food and vomit)
- Deglutition › pneumonia
Aspiration pneumonitis due to anesthesia during labor and delivery
- Chapter 15
- Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium
- Section
- O60-O77
- Inhalation of stomach contents or secretions NOS due to anesthesia during labor and delivery
- Mendelson's syndrome due to anesthesia during labor and delivery
- Mendelson's syndrome › in labor and delivery
- Mendelson's syndrome › obstetric
- Syndrome › acid pulmonary aspiration, obstetric
- Syndrome › Mendelson's
- Pneumonitis › aspiration › obstetric
These two codes sit in different chapters of the Tabular List, which is usually the clearest signal that they describe different underlying processes rather than different degrees of the same one.
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