J02Acute pharyngitis

J02 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for acute pharyngitis. It belongs to block J00-J06 (acute upper respiratory infections) and chapter 10 (diseases of the respiratory system). It is a header code, so it can't be reported by itself; one of its 3 subcodes must be used instead.

To report this condition, pick the subcode that matches the documentation: J02.0 (pharyngitis), J02.8 (due to other specified organisms) and J02.9 (unspecified).

Don't report J02 together with the conditions in its Excludes1 note: acute laryngopharyngitis (J06.0), peritonsillar abscess (J36), pharyngeal abscess (J39.1) and retropharyngeal abscess (J39.0).

The conditions in its Excludes2 note aren't part of J02, but may be coded alongside it if the patient has both: chronic pharyngitis (J31.2).

It has been part of ICD-10-CM since the code set took effect on October 1, 2015 and hasn't changed since.