J44.9 ICD-10: COPD Diagnosis Code, unspecified

Billable/ Specific Code:

J44.9 ICD-10 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.

Applicable To

• Chronic obstructive airway disease NOS
• Chronic obstructive lung disease NOS

Approximate Synonyms:

• Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd)
• Asthma, chronic obstructive without status asthmaticus
• Asthmatic bronchitis, chronic
• Bronchiolitis fibrosa obliterans
• Chronic asthmatic bronchitis
• Chronic bronchitis, obstructive
• Chronic obstructive airway disease with asthma
• Chronic obstructive asthma
• Chronic obstructive lung disease
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd)
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) mild
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) moderate
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) severe
• Emphysematous bronchitis
• End stage chronic obstructive airways disease
• Mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Clinical Information

• A chronic and progressive lung disorder characterized by the loss of elasticity of the bronchial tree and the air sacs, destruction of the air sacs wall, thickening of the bronchial wall, and mucous accumulation in the bronchial tree. The pathologic changes result in the disruption of the air flow in the bronchial airways. Signs and symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, productive cough, and chest tightness. The two main types of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are chronic obstructive bronchitis and emphysema.
• A disease of chronic diffuse irreversible airflow obstruction. Subcategories of copd include chronic bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema.
• A type of lung disease marked by permanent damage to tissues in the lungs, making it hard to breathe. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease includes chronic bronchitis, in which the bronchi (large air passages) are inflamed and scarred, and emphysema, in which the alveoli (tiny air sacs) are damaged. It develops over many years and is usually caused by cigarette smoking.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) makes it hard for you to breathe. Coughing up mucus is often the first sign of copd. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are common copds. Your airways branch out inside your lungs like an upside-down tree. At the end of each branch are small, balloon-like air sacs. In healthy people, both the airways and air sacs are springy and elastic. When you breathe in, each air sac fills with air like a small balloon. The balloon deflates when you exhale. In copd, your airways and air sacs lose their shape and become floppy, like a stretched-out rubber band.cigarette smoking is the most common cause of copd. Breathing in other kinds of irritants, like pollution, dust or chemicals, may also cause or contribute to copd. quitting smoking is the best way to avoid developing copd. Treatment can make you more comfortable, but there is no cure.
• Chronic, irreversible obstruction of air flow from the lungs.

Related Specialties:

• pulmonology

ICD-10: A Brief Synopsis

For disease reporting, the US utilizes its own national variant of ICD-10 called the ICD-10 Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM). A procedural classification called ICD-10 Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) has also been developed for capturing inpatient procedures. The ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS were developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). There are over 70,000 ICD-10-PCS procedure codes and over 69,000 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes, compared to about 3,800 procedure codes and roughly 14,000 diagnosis codes found in the previous ICD-9-CM.

The expansion of healthcare delivery systems and changes in global health trends prompted a need for codes with improved clinical accuracy and specificity. The alphanumeric coding in ICD-10 is an improvement from ICD-9 which had a limited number of codes and a restrictive structure. Early concerns in the implementation of ICD-10 included the cost and the availability of resources for training healthcare workers and professional coders.

There was much controversy when the transition from the ICD-9-CM to the ICD-10-CM was first announced in the US. Many providers were concerned about the vast number of codes being added, the complexity of the new coding system, and the costs associated with the transition. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) weighed these concerns against the benefits of having more accurate data collection, clearer documentation of diagnoses and procedures, and more accurate claims processing. CMS decided the financial and public health cost associated with continuing to use the ICD-9-CM was too high and mandated the switch to ICD-10-CM.