A36.0 — Pharyngeal diphtheria
Is A36.0 billable?
Yes — A36.0 is billable for FY2027. A36.0 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code at the highest level of specificity in its branch. A36.0 may be submitted for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
A36.0 at a glance
| Code | A36.0 |
|---|---|
| Description | Pharyngeal diphtheria |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does A36.0 group to?
A36.0 sits in MDC Pre and helps define the logic of 3 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 011Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy with MCCsurgical
- 012Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy with CCsurgical
- 013Tracheostomy for Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses or Laryngectomy without CC/MCCsurgical
As a secondary diagnosis, A36.0 is a complication or comorbidity (CC), which can move a stay into a higher-paying DRG.
How is A36.0 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to A36.0. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Bretonneau's disease or angina
- Angina › diphtheritic, membranous (attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
- Angina › gangrenous diphtheritic (attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
- Angina › malignant diphtheritic (attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
- Angina › pultaceous, diphtheritic (attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
- Diphtheria, diphtheritic › faucial (gangrenous) (hemorrhagic)
- Diphtheria, diphtheritic › pharyngeal (gangrenous) (hemorrhagic)
- Diphtheria, diphtheritic › tonsillar (gangrenous) (hemorrhagic)
- Disease, diseased › Bretonneau's
- Pharyngitis › diphtheritic (acute) (catarrhal)(gangrenous) (infective) (malignant) (membranous) (phlegmonous) (pseudomembranous) (simple) (subacute) (suppurative) (ulcerative)
- Tonsillitis › diphtheritic (acute) (catarrhal) (croupous) (follicular) (gangrenous) (infective) (lacunar) (lingual) (malignant) (membranous) (parenchymatous) (phlegmonous) (pseudomembranous) (purulent) (septic) (subacute) (suppurative) (toxic) (ulcerative) (vesicular) (viral)
- Angina › membranous › diphtheritic (attack) (cardiac) (chest) (heart) (pectoris) (syndrome) (vasomotor)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to A36.0.
- Diphtheritic membranous angina
- Tonsillar diphtheria
Use additional code — inherited from Chapter 1
Report an additional code alongside A36.0 to fully describe the condition. A36.0 is sequenced first.
- code to identify resistance to antimicrobial drugs (Z16.-)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 1
The conditions below are not part of A36.0, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, A36.0 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- carrier or suspected carrier of infectious disease (Z22.-)
- certain localized infections - see body system-related chapters
- infectious and parasitic diseases complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O98.-)
- infectious and parasitic diseases specific to the perinatal period (P35-P39)
- influenza and other acute respiratory infections (J00-J22)
How long has A36.0 existed?
A36.0 has been in ICD-10-CM since at least FY2016, the earliest fiscal year on record here.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.
Which codes are confused with A36.0?
ICD-10-CM declares these codes mutually exclusive with A36.0 — exactly one of each pair can be correct for a given encounter.