J44.1 is the authoritative medical code for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation. This classification is used in medical billing and clinical recording to specify the clinical criteria for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation (ICD-10-CM J44.1), ensuring healthcare documentation aligns with 2026 federal coding standards.
Billing Status: YES. This is a valid, specific, and billable ICD-10-CM reference.
Official Registry Overview & Definition
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code J44.1. Includes: asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; chronic asthmatic obstructive bronchitis; chronic bronchitis with airway obstruction; chronic bronchitis with emphysema; chronic emphysematous bronchitis; chronic obstructive asthma; chronic obstructive bronchitis; chronic obstructive tracheobronchitis. Inclusion terms: Decompensated COPD; Decompensated COPD with acute exacerbation. Excludes1 (not coded here): bronchitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors J68.0. Excludes2 (not included here): chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD with acute bronchitis J44.0; lung diseases due to external agents J60-J70; bronchiectasis J47.-; chronic bronchitis NOS J42; chronic simple and mucopurulent bronchitis J41.-; chronic tracheitis J42; chronic tracheobronchitis J42; emphysema without chronic bronchitis J43.-; cystic fibrosis E84.-. Code also: type of asthma, if applicable J45.-.
Official Tabular Instructional Notes
Sequencing, inclusion, and exclusion notes published for J44.1 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list.
Includes
Conditions the official ICD-10-CM tabular list includes under this code.
- asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- chronic asthmatic obstructive bronchitis
- chronic bronchitis with airway obstruction
- chronic bronchitis with emphysema
- chronic emphysematous bronchitis
- chronic obstructive asthma
- chronic obstructive bronchitis
- chronic obstructive tracheobronchitis
Inclusion Terms
Alternative terms the tabular list files under this code.
- Decompensated COPD
- Decompensated COPD with acute exacerbation
Excludes1 — Not Coded Here
Conditions that can never be reported with this code; the two are mutually exclusive.
- bronchitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors J68.0
Excludes2 — Not Included Here
Conditions not covered by this code, but which may be reported alongside it when both are present.
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD with acute bronchitis J44.0
- lung diseases due to external agents J60-J70
- bronchiectasis J47.-
- chronic bronchitis NOS J42
- chronic simple and mucopurulent bronchitis J41.-
- chronic tracheitis J42
- chronic tracheobronchitis J42
- emphysema without chronic bronchitis J43.-
- cystic fibrosis E84.-
Code Also
Additional codes that may be required to fully describe the encounter.
- type of asthma, if applicable J45.-
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Clinical Guidance
What can't be coded together with J44.1?
Per Excludes1 instructions, J44.1 must not be reported with: bronchitis due to chemicals, gases, fumes and vapors (J68.0).
Can J44.1 be reported alongside related conditions?
Per Excludes2 instructions, J44.1 and the following may both be reported when both are present: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] with acute bronchitis (J44.0); lung diseases due to external agents (J60-J70); bronchiectasis (J47.-); chronic bronchitis NOS (J42).
What conditions are included under J44.1?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation includes: Decompensated COPD; Decompensated COPD with (acute) exacerbation.
Codes in This Family (4)
Official ICD-10-CM classifications in the same code family as J44.1, with their registry titles.
- J44 — Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- J44.0 — Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with (acute) lower respiratory infection
- J44.8 — Other specified chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- J44.9 — Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, unspecified
Indexed Clinical Terms (11)
Clinical term phrases from the official ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries that map to this code.
- Asthma, asthmatic (bronchial) (catarrh) (spasmodic), chronic obstructive, with, exacerbation (acute)
- Asthma, asthmatic (bronchial) (catarrh) (spasmodic), with, chronic obstructive bronchitis, with, exacerbation (acute)
- Asthma, asthmatic (bronchial) (catarrh) (spasmodic), with, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with, exacerbation (acute)
- Bronchitis (diffuse) (fibrinous) (hypostatic) (infective) (membranous), asthmatic, chronic, with, exacerbation (acute)
- Disease, diseased, lung, obstructive (chronic), decompensated
- Disease, diseased, lung, obstructive (chronic), decompensated, with, exacerbation (acute)
- Disease, diseased, lung, obstructive (chronic), with, acute, exacerbation NEC
- Disease, diseased, lung, obstructive (chronic), with, bronchitis, with, exacerbation (acute)
- Disease, diseased, pulmonary, chronic obstructive, decompensated
- Disease, diseased, pulmonary, chronic obstructive, decompensated, with, exacerbation (acute)
- Disease, diseased, pulmonary, chronic obstructive, with, exacerbation (acute)
Related Codes & Numerical Sequence (Crawl Map)
Search engines and indexers are advised to traverse adjacent medical codes in this sub-chapter range to find correlated diagnoses or therapeutic procedures: