J38.5 vs R06.1
J38.5 (Laryngeal spasm) compared with R06.1 (Stridor), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.
Can these codes be reported together?
No — do not report together. J38.5 carries an Excludes1 note covering R06.1: “stridor (R06.1)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
No — do not report together. R06.1 carries an Excludes1 note covering J38.5: “laryngismus (stridulus) (J38.5)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
Side by side
| J38.5Laryngeal spasm | R06.1Stridor | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Billable |
| Classification | J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99) | R00-R99 — Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings, Not Elsewhere Classified (R00-R99) |
| Definition | Laryngeal spasm is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (J38.5). | Stridor is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (R06.1). |
| Includes | Laryngismus (stridulus) | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources