ICD-10-CM › J00-J99 › J00-J06 › J codes › J03

J03

Acute tonsillitis

Not billableICD-10-CM diagnosis code.

This code exists but cannot be submitted on its own. It groups the more specific codes beneath it.

A category header for its whole life, FY2016 onwards. It has never been valid for submission on its own.

Submit one of these 3 more specific codes instead:

  • J03.0 Streptococcal tonsillitis (also a header)
  • J03.8 Acute tonsillitis due to other specified organisms (also a header)
  • J03.9 Acute tonsillitis, unspecified (also a header)

What has happened to this code

Every change the publisher made, from 2012 to now. Entries marked draft are from the pre-implementation releases: ICD-10 took effect on 1 October 2015, so nothing before FY2016 was ever valid on a claim.

  1. FY2012 Added to the draft code set draft Acute tonsillitis

Official coding rules

Published by CDC for FY2027. A rule attached to a category binds every code beneath it, so the rules inherited from this code's ancestors are shown with the code they come from.

This code

Excludes1 - never coded here

  • acute sore throat (J02.-)
  • hypertrophy of tonsils (J35.1)
  • peritonsillar abscess (J36)
  • sore throat NOS (J02.9)
  • streptococcal sore throat (J02.0)

Excludes2 - not included here

  • chronic tonsillitis (J35.0)

Inherited from the J00-J06 section Acute upper respiratory infections (J00-J06)

Excludes1 - never coded here

  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute lower respiratory infection (J44.0)