J02.9
Acute pharyngitis, unspecified
Billable FY2026 2025-10-01 → 2026-09-30
This is the unspecified option. 2 more
specific codes sit alongside it. Worth
checking whether the documentation supports one of them.
Exclusions 16 never code together
J02.9code
J02code
J00-J06block
Excludes1
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute lower respiratory infection (J44.0)J44.0
J00-J99chapter
Excludes2
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)P04-P96
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)A00-B99
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)O00-O9A
- congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)Q00-Q99
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)E00-E88
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)S00-T88
- neoplasms (C00-D49)C00-D49
- smoke inhalation (T59.81-)T59.81-
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)R00-R94
Excludes1 — never code together. The excluded condition and this one are mutually exclusive.
Excludes2 — not included here, but the patient may have both. Code both when documented.
Instructional notes 15
J02code
Includes
- acute sore throat
J02.9code
Inclusion terms
- Gangrenous pharyngitis (acute)
- Infective pharyngitis (acute) NOS
- Pharyngitis (acute) NOS
- Sore throat (acute) NOS
- Suppurative pharyngitis (acute)
- Ulcerative pharyngitis (acute)
J00-J99chapter
Notes
- When a respiratory condition is described as occurring in more than one site and is not specifically indexed, it should be classified to the lower anatomic site (e.g. tracheobronchitis to bronchitis in J40).J40
Use additional code
- code, where applicable, to identify:
- exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22)Z77.22
- exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81)P96.81
- history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891)Z87.891
- occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31)Z57.31
- tobacco dependence (F17.-)F17.-
- tobacco use (Z72.0)Z72.0
Index entries leading here 4
- Faucitis J02.9
- Necrosis, necrotic (ischemic) — see also Gangrene
- pharynx J02.9
- Pharyngitis (acute) (catarrhal)(gangrenous) (infective) (malignant) (membranous) (phlegmonous) (pseudomembranous) (simple) (subacute) (suppurative) (ulcerative) (viral) J02.9
- Ulcer, ulcerated, ulcerating, ulceration, ulcerative
- sore throat J02.9
Alongside this code 2 same parent — J02
Additional references
AHA Coding Clinic® Licence required
Official coding advice for this code. Published by the American Hospital Association. Not included in this installation.