R05.3 — Chronic cough

R05.3

ICD-10 Chapter 18: Symptoms, Signs & Abnormal Findings — illustrative image — Chapter 18: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00–R99) — illustrative image

What this code means

A chronic cough is a cough lasting more than eight weeks in adults, needing a search for causes such as reflux, asthma or medicines.

Also called: chronic cough, persistent cough.

When this code is used

Used for chronic cough.

Where it sits in ICD-10-CM

Code R05.3 belongs to Chapter 18: Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified, which covers codes R00–R99 in the FY2027 ICD-10-CM tabular list. The official description above is copied verbatim from the CDC/NCHS FY2027 code file.

Related symptoms

Cough

Watch: related videos

▶ WatchUsmle step 2 cs chronic cough ▶ WatchChronic cough

Frequently asked questions

What is ICD-10-CM code R05.3?

R05.3 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for “Chronic cough”. A chronic cough is a cough lasting more than eight weeks in adults, needing a search for causes such as reflux, asthma or medicines.

When is code R05.3 used?

Used for chronic cough. It belongs to Chapter 18 of ICD-10-CM (Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified).

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.