Skip to main content
Compare/R04.2 vs R09.3

R04.2 vs R09.3

R04.2 (Hemoptysis) compared with R09.3 (Abnormal sputum), 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. R09.3 carries an Excludes1 note covering R04.2: “blood-stained sputum (R04.2)”

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

R04.2HemoptysisR09.3Abnormal sputum
Billing statusBillableBillable
ClassificationR00-R99 — Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings, Not Elsewhere Classified (R00-R99)R00-R99 — Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings, Not Elsewhere Classified (R00-R99)
DefinitionHemoptysis is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (R04.2).Abnormal sputum is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (R09.3).
Includes
Blood-stained sputum
Cough with hemorrhage
Abnormal amount of sputum
Abnormal color of sputum
Abnormal odor of sputum
Excessive sputum

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources