ICD-10 codes for asthma
ICD-10-CM asthma codes encode severity (intermittent vs mild/moderate/severe persistent) and acuity (uncomplicated, with exacerbation, with status asthmaticus). J45.909 is the fallback, not the default.
Notat writes the note — and suggests these codes
The same FactsContext™ engine that extracts codes here turns the full consultation into a structured clinical note, with each code tied to the sentence that supports it. You review and sign every note.
Try AI-assisted extraction with visible medical context
Paste a note or record audio. Notat’s FactsContext™ engine extracts the raw clinical facts first, then suggests codes from that context so you can inspect the evidence before using anything.
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How to use this tool
1
Paste or dictate a de-identified clinical note — a few sentences is enough.
2
Press Get codes. The coding system is fixed on this page.
3
Review each suggested code and its evidence, then copy the codes you agree with.
Clinical note
Extracted codes
Evidence stays attached for review.
Paste a clinical note or load an example, then press Get codes. Suggestions appear here with the supporting evidence.
AI suggestions must be reviewed by a clinician before use. Do not paste patient-identifying information into this free tool.
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Asthma ICD-10 codes
Start with the primary code, then move to a more specific related code when the documentation supports it.
| Code | Description | System |
|---|---|---|
J45.909 | Unspecified asthma, uncomplicated | ICD-10-CM |
J45.20 | Mild intermittent asthma, uncomplicated | ICD-10-CM |
J45.40 | Moderate persistent asthma, uncomplicated | ICD-10-CM |
J45.50 | Severe persistent asthma, uncomplicated | ICD-10-CM |
J45.901 | Unspecified asthma with (acute) exacerbation | ICD-10-CM |
J45.902 | Unspecified asthma with status asthmaticus | ICD-10-CM |
How to choose the right code
Document severity classification at least annually and code it: intermittent (J45.2-), mild persistent (J45.3-), moderate persistent (J45.4-), severe persistent (J45.5-). During an attack, the sixth character changes: -1 for exacerbation, -2 for status asthmaticus. Severity plus acuity together (e.g. J45.41, moderate persistent with exacerbation) is the fully specific code.
Documentation example
“Asthma review. Using salbutamol 4–5 times weekly, waking with cough twice weekly — consistent with moderate persistent asthma. Today wheezing with peak flow 65% of best after URTI. Prednisolone burst started; stepped up to medium-dose ICS/LABA.”
Suggested:
Not direct transcript guessing
FactsContext extracts clinical facts first: diagnoses, symptoms, negatives, findings, test results, medications, and plan decisions.
Raw facts stay usable
The clinician can read and reuse the extracted medical context directly, independent of the generated note.
Built for review
AI suggestions are not a substitute for clinician judgment, payer rules, local coding policy, or the official code set.
FAQ
When should I avoid J45.909?
Whenever severity is documented or documentable. Reliever frequency and night symptoms in the note support a persistent-severity code, which reflects the patient’s actual disease burden.
What is the difference between exacerbation and status asthmaticus?
An exacerbation is an acute worsening responding to treatment; status asthmaticus is a severe attack not responding to standard bronchodilator therapy — an emergency, coded with the -2 sixth character.
Can AI map my asthma note to the specific code?
Yes. Notat extracts reliever use, night waking, and acute findings as clinical facts and proposes the severity- and acuity-specific J45 code with its evidence.
Related ICD-10 guides
Keep moving through the condition hub, or open the general medical coding guide for more coding systems and extractors.