ICD-10 Code J18.0 – Bronchopneumonia, unspecified organism (2026): Diagnosis, Symptoms & Billing Guide
2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code J18.0 – Bronchopneumonia, unspecified organism
What it is
J18.0 identifies bronchopneumonia when the organism is not specified. It describes a pneumonia pattern involving the bronchi and surrounding lung tissue, without documentation of a specific infectious cause.
Clinical signs
Typical findings include cough, fever, sputum production, and abnormal lung exam or imaging consistent with bronchopneumonia. Clinical features vary; refer to documentation.
When to use this code
Use J18.0 when the provider documents bronchopneumonia and does not name the causative organism. It is appropriate when the record supports pneumonia with bronchial distribution but lacks organism-specific detail. If the organism is identified, code that more specific diagnosis instead.
Do not use for
Do not use this code when the pneumonia organism is documented, such as bacterial or viral pneumonia. Also avoid it if the diagnosis is another pneumonia type or if documentation is unclear; check documentation.
Coding tip
Query for the organism when the chart says only “pneumonia” or “bronchopneumonia” without a cause.