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J05.0

Billable

Acute obstructive laryngitis [croup]

This code does not map to an HCC category in any model (V28, V24, ESRD, RxHCC).

What This Code Means

Croup is a viral infection that causes swelling in the voice box and windpipe, leading to a distinctive barking cough and difficulty breathing, most commonly seen in young children. It comes on suddenly and is usually caused by a virus.

Coding Tips

  • Verify the documentation specifies 'acute' and 'obstructive' characteristics; croup is inherently acute, so chronic laryngitis would use a different code
  • This code is appropriate for the typical presentation with barking/seal-like cough; if the condition is recurrent or chronic, consider alternative codes like J37.0

Code Hierarchy

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