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Compare/J86 vs J93

J86 vs J93

J86 (Pyothorax) compared with J93 (Pneumothorax and air leak), 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. J93 carries an Excludes1 note covering J86: “pyopneumothorax (J86.-)”

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

J86PyothoraxJ93Pneumothorax and air leak
Billing statusNon-billable header

Report instead: J86.0, J86.9

Non-billable header

Report instead: J93.0, J93.11, J93.12, J93.81, J93.82

ClassificationJ00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99)J00-J99 — Diseases of the Respiratory System (J00-J99)
DefinitionPyothorax is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J86).Pneumothorax and air leak is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (J93).
Use additional code
code (B95-B97) to identify infectious agent.
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Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources