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J18.2 vs J95.862

J18.2 (Hypostatic pneumonia, unspecified organism) compared with J95.862 (Postprocedural seroma of a respiratory system organ or structure following a respiratory system procedure), from the official CMS tabular data.

Summary

These codes can be reported together when both conditions are documented, because J95.862 lists J18.2 under Excludes2, which marks them as distinct conditions.

Official rule
What is different?

The conditions named.J18.2 is “Hypostatic pneumonia, unspecified organism”; J95.862 is “Postprocedural seroma of a respiratory system organ or structure following a respiratory system procedure”.

Registry fact

Can these codes be reported together?

Yes, when both are documented.J95.862 lists J18.2 under Excludes2: “hypostatic pneumonia (J18.2)”. Excludes2 marks distinct conditions that may both be reported when both are documented.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is there an Excludes1 relationship?

None.Neither entry carries an Excludes1 note that names the other code. J18.2 carries 6 Excludes1 notes covering other codes; the side-by-side table quotes them.

Official rule

Is there an Excludes2 relationship?

Yes.J95.862’s tabular entry: “hypostatic pneumonia (J18.2)”. The note covers J18.2.

Official ruleGuide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2

Is one more specific?

Not comparable.The codes sit in different categories; specificity is only comparable within one category.

Is one a parent or header code?

No.Both are billable codes, and neither contains the other.

Registry fact

Are there sequencing instructions?

None.Neither entry carries a Code First or Use Additional Code note that names the other.

Official rule

Are there other coding relationships?

None found.No laterality, encounter-phase, Table of Neoplasms, Table of Drugs and Chemicals, or history-versus-active-disease relationship links these codes.

MedCoder-derived

Official rule: a tabular instructional note or a section of the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, quoted as published. Registry fact: the codes’ own published attributes (titles, billable status, position in the hierarchy, code set). MedCoder-derived: a reading MedCoder computes from those facts; it is not itself a rule. How to read the labels

Can these codes be reported together?

Informational

Excludes2 relationship

J95.862
Postprocedural seroma of a respiratory system organ or structure following a respiratory system procedure
↔
J18.2
Hypostatic pneumonia, unspecified organism

What we found

Yes, when both are documented.J95.862 carries an Excludes2 note covering J18.2: “hypostatic pneumonia (J18.2)”

Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.

What to review

Report both only when the documentation supports both conditions; otherwise report the one documented.

Guide: Excludes1 vs Excludes2Check these on a claim

Why it matters

An Excludes2 note means the excluded condition is not part of the code above it, but a patient can have both. Report both when both are documented.

Source / rule

CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes

Official guidance behind these answers

  • Section I.A.12.b — Excludes2 · applies to: Excludes2

    A type 2 Excludes note represents “Not included here.” An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.

    ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines FY2026

Quoted from the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting in effect for the release shown. The tabular notes above are the code-level instruction; these sections are the convention that says how such a note is applied. Source document (CMS PDF) · Release and checksum

Side by side

J18.2Hypostatic pneumonia, unspecified organismJ95.862Postprocedural seroma of a respiratory system organ or structure following a respiratory system procedure
Billing statusBillableBillable
ClassificationJ00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99)J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99)
DefinitionHypostatic pneumonia, unspecified organism is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J18.2).Postprocedural seroma of a respiratory system organ or structure following a respiratory system procedure is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J95.862).
Includes
Hypostatic bronchopneumonia
Passive pneumonia
—
Excludes1
congenital pneumonia (P23.0)
drug-induced interstitial lung disorder (J70.2-J70.4)
interstitial pneumonia NOS (J84.9)
neonatal aspiration pneumonia (P24.-)
pneumonitis due to fumes and vapors (J68.0)
usual interstitial pneumonia (J84.178)
—
Excludes2
abscess of lung with pneumonia (J85.1)
aspiration pneumonia due to anesthesia during labor and delivery (O74.0)
aspiration pneumonia due to anesthesia during pregnancy (O29)
aspiration pneumonia due to anesthesia during puerperium (O89.0)
aspiration pneumonia due to solids and liquids (J69.-)
aspiration pneumonia NOS (J69.0)
lipid pneumonia (J69.1)
pneumonitis due to external agents (J67-J70)
allergic or eosinophilic pneumonia (J82)
meconium pneumonia (P24.01)
pneumonia due to solids and liquids (J69.-)
congenital pneumonia (P23.9)
rheumatic pneumonia (I00)
ventilator associated pneumonia (J95.851)
aspiration pneumonia (J69.-)
emphysema (subcutaneous) resulting from a procedure (T81.82)
hypostatic pneumonia (J18.2)
pulmonary manifestations due to radiation (J70.0-J70.1)
Code first
, if applicable, associated influenza (J09.X1, J10.0-, J11.0-)
—
Use additional code
code, if applicable, to identify resistance to antimicrobial drugs (Z16.-)
—
Code also
, if applicable, any associated condition such as:
aspiration pneumonia (J69.-)
—

Notes are the code’s own tabular entry, quoted as published. A note that names the other code is the one the verdict above rests on.

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Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2027). A coding-rule comparison, not billing advice: payer-specific edits and medical-necessity policy are outside its scope. All data sources