J20.5
Acute bronchitis due to respiratory syncytial virus
J20.5 (also written J205) is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for acute bronchitis due to respiratory syncytial virus. It is part of the FY2027 code set, effective October 1, 2026. It is one of the 10 codes in category J20 (Acute bronchitis). The Alphabetic Index lists it under 3 entries. Its coding notes include a Use additional code instruction, 2 Excludes1 entries and 21 Excludes2 entries.
Use additional code
Add the listed code as a secondary code, if known.
Also from chapter/block level (7 notes)
Excludes1
Not coded here. The listed conditions generally should not be reported together.
Excludes2
Not included here. Both codes may be reported if the patient has both conditions.
- acute bronchitis with bronchiectasis (J47.0)
- acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive asthma (J44.0)
- acute bronchitis with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (J44.0)
- allergic bronchitis NOS (J45.909)
- bronchitis due to chemicals, fumes and vapors (J68.0)
- chronic bronchitis NOS (J42)
- chronic mucopurulent bronchitis (J41.1)
- chronic obstructive bronchitis (J44.-)
- chronic obstructive tracheobronchitis (J44.-)
- chronic simple bronchitis (J41.0)
- chronic tracheobronchitis (J42)
Also from chapter/block level (10 notes)
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute lower respiratory infection (J44.0)
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- smoke inhalation (T59.81-)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
Care settings
How CMS programs treat this code. These are CMS claim edits and list entries, not coverage or eligibility rules.
Home Health Primary
Accepted as the primary (principal) diagnosis on a home health claim. The Home Health Grouper assigns it to the MMTA - Respiratory clinical group.
Source: CMS Home Health Grouper Software v07.2.26, effective October 1, 2026Includes
Further defines or gives examples of the content of the category.
- acute and subacute bronchitis (with) bronchospasm
- acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheitis
- acute and subacute bronchitis (with) tracheobronchitis, acute
- acute and subacute fibrinous bronchitis
- acute and subacute membranous bronchitis
- acute and subacute purulent bronchitis
- acute and subacute septic bronchitis
Inclusion terms
Conditions classified to this code.
- Acute bronchitis due to RSV
Notes
Also from chapter/block level (1 note)
- When a respiratory condition is described as occurring in more than one site and is not specifically indexed, it should be classified to the lower anatomic site (e.g. tracheobronchitis to bronchitis in J40).
Alphabetic Index terms
Terms the official Alphabetic Index lists for this code. 3 entries
- Bronchitis (diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous), acute or subacute (with bronchospasm or obstruction), due to, virus, respiratory syncytial (RSV)
- Infection, infected, infective (opportunistic), virus, viral NOS, respiratory syncytial (RSV), bronchitis
- Virus, viral, respiratory syncytial (RSV), bronchitis