ICD-10 codes for pneumonia
Pneumonia coding follows the organism: J18.9 when unknown, organism-specific categories when documented. In inpatient coding especially, the gap between J18.9 and an organism-specific code matters for severity and reimbursement.
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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.
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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.
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Pneumonia ICD-10 codes
Start with the primary code, then move to a more specific related code when the documentation supports it.
| Code | Description | System |
|---|---|---|
J18.9 | Pneumonia, unspecified organism | ICD-10-CM |
J13 | Pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae | ICD-10-CM |
J15.9 | Unspecified bacterial pneumonia | ICD-10-CM |
J12.9 | Viral pneumonia, unspecified | ICD-10-CM |
J18.1 | Lobar pneumonia, unspecified organism | ICD-10-CM |
J69.0 | Pneumonitis due to inhalation of food and vomit (aspiration pneumonia) | ICD-10-CM |
How to choose the right code
Code the organism when cultures or antigen tests identify it — J13 for pneumococcus, J15.- for other bacteria, J12.- for viral. "Community-acquired pneumonia" without an organism is J18.9. A documented aspiration event points to J69.0, which is a different clinical entity, not a J18 variant.
Documentation example
“Productive cough, fever 38.6°C, right-sided pleuritic pain for 2 days. Crackles right base, CRP 156. Chest X-ray: right lower lobe consolidation. CURB-65 = 1. Urinary pneumococcal antigen positive. Amoxicillin started, oral, community management.”
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 can I code better than J18.9?
When the organism is documented — positive culture, PCR, or antigen test. A positive pneumococcal antigen, for example, supports J13 instead of J18.9.
How is aspiration pneumonia coded?
J69.0, pneumonitis due to inhalation of food and vomit. It is not coded from the J12–J18 pneumonia block.
Can AI upgrade my pneumonia coding specificity?
Notat extracts microbiology results and imaging findings as clinical facts, so when the organism is in the note, the organism-specific code is suggested 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.