- Physical Examination
- Surgical Examination
- Ophthalmology
- Clinical Skills
- Orthopedics
- Surgery Videos
- Laparoscopy
- Pediatrics
- Funny Videos
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Nursing Videos
- Plastic Surgery
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Histology and Histopathology
- Neurosurgery
- Dermatology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Urology
- Dentistry
- Oncology and Cancers
- Anatomy Videos
- Health and Fitness
- Radiology
- Anaesthesia
- Physical Therapy
- Pharmacology
- Interventional Radiology
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Gynecology
- Emergency Medicine
- Psychiatry and Psychology
- Childbirth Videos
- General Medical Videos
- Nephrology
- Physiology
- Diet and Food Health
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Neurology
- Women Health
- Osteoporosis
- Gastroenterology
- Pulmonology
- Hematology
- Rheumatology
- Toxicology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Vascular Disease
- Reproductive Health
- Burns and Wound Healing
- Kidney Zone Podcast
- Other
J20.9 — Acute bronchitis, unspecified
J20.9
What this code means
Acute bronchitis is inflammation of the large airways (bronchi), usually viral, causing a cough that lasts days to weeks.
Also called: acute bronchitis, chest cold.
When this code is used
Used for acute bronchitis when the cause is not specified.
Where it sits in ICD-10-CM
Code J20.9 belongs to Chapter 10: Diseases of the respiratory system, which covers codes J00–J99 in the FY2027 ICD-10-CM tabular list. The official description above is copied verbatim from the CDC/NCHS FY2027 code file.
Related symptoms
Frequently asked questions
What is ICD-10-CM code J20.9?
J20.9 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for “Acute bronchitis, unspecified”. Acute bronchitis is inflammation of the large airways (bronchi), usually viral, causing a cough that lasts days to weeks.
When is code J20.9 used?
Used for acute bronchitis when the cause is not specified. It belongs to Chapter 10 of ICD-10-CM (Diseases of the respiratory system).
This guide explains ICD-10-CM codes in plain language for patients, students and other readers. It is educational information only — not coding, billing or medical advice. The code recorded for any real encounter is assigned from the full clinical documentation by the treating team and qualified coders, and only they can decide which code fits a specific case.