J93Not billable, use a more specific code below

Pneumothorax and air leak

In Other diseases of the pleura (J90-J94), chapter 10: Diseases of the Respiratory System

7 billable codes under J93: 1 is an MCC, 6 are a CC; none map to an HCC.A CC or MCC (major CC) is a secondary diagnosis that raises the MS-DRG payment.

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Instructional notes

Excludes1: not coded here, use a different code

  • congenital or perinatal pneumothorax (P25.1)
  • postprocedural air leak (J95.812)
  • postprocedural pneumothorax (J95.811)
  • traumatic pneumothorax (S27.0)
  • tuberculous (current disease) pneumothorax (A15.-)
  • pyopneumothorax (J86.-)

Official coding guidelines

From the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY 2027 (CMS and NCHS). Links open the PDF at the right page.

Covers COPD and asthma exacerbations, sequencing of acute respiratory failure, confirmed versus suspected identified influenza, ventilator associated pneumonia, and vaping-related disorders.

Read Section I.C.10 (page 56)

J93 MS-DRGs

As the principal diagnosis, all 7 billable codes under J93 group to MS-DRG 199, 200, or 201 (v44.0). Which one applies depends on procedures performed, secondary diagnoses (CC/MCC), and the patient's age and discharge status.

Other codes that refer to J93

Notes on these codes point to J93.

  • S27.0 Excludes1: spontaneous pneumothorax (J93.-)

About the condition

Plain-language background from MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine), not coding guidance.

Pleural Disorders

Your pleura is a large, thin sheet of tissue that wraps around the outside of your lungs and lines the inside of your chest cavity. Between the layers of the pleura is a very thin space. Normally it's filled with a small amount of fluid. The fluid helps the two layers of the pleura glide smoothly past each other as your lungs breathe air in and out.

Read more about pleural disorders on MedlinePlus

Code history

Valid since FY2016, when ICD-10-CM took effect on October 1, 2015. No changes since.