2025 ICD-10-CM code J45.5
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Respiratory - Chronic lower respiratory diseases Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99) Feed
Severe persistent asthma.
Medical necessity for treatment of severe persistent asthma is established by the presence of persistent symptoms, impaired lung function, and the need for ongoing medication to control the disease and prevent exacerbations.
Clinicians are responsible for diagnosing and managing asthma, including assessing severity, prescribing medications, and educating patients on managing their condition.They also need to accurately document the severity, complications, and treatments.
In simple words: Severe persistent asthma is a long-term lung condition where the airways become inflamed and narrowed, making it difficult to breathe.This is a severe form where symptoms are frequent and intense.
Severe persistent asthma. Includes: allergic (predominantly) asthma, allergic bronchitis NOS, allergic rhinitis with asthma, atopic asthma, extrinsic allergic asthma, hay fever with asthma, idiosyncratic asthma, intrinsic nonallergic asthma, nonallergic asthma.
Example 1: A patient with a history of severe persistent asthma presents to the emergency room with wheezing, shortness of breath, and difficulty speaking. They require nebulizer treatments and are subsequently admitted for status asthmaticus (J45.52)., A patient with severe persistent asthma is seen for a routine follow-up. They report continued symptoms despite adhering to their prescribed medication regimen. The clinician adjusts their medication and schedules a follow-up to monitor their response (J45.50)., A child is brought to the clinic with frequent coughing and wheezing, especially at night. After testing and evaluation, they are diagnosed with severe persistent asthma and prescribed controller and rescue medications (J45.50).
Documentation for severe persistent asthma should include frequency and severity of symptoms (wheezing, shortness of breath, cough), lung function test results (FEV1, FVC), medications used (both controller and rescue), response to treatment, and any exacerbations or hospitalizations.
** Excludes1: detergent asthma (J69.8), miner's asthma (J60), wheezing NOS (R06.2), wood asthma (J67.8). Excludes2: asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (J44.89), chronic asthmatic (obstructive) bronchitis (J44.89), chronic obstructive asthma (J44.89), other specified chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (J44.89). Use additional code to identify: eosinophilic asthma (J82.83), exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z77.22), exposure to tobacco smoke in the perinatal period (P96.81), history of tobacco dependence (Z87.891), occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Z57.31), tobacco dependence (F17.-), tobacco use (Z72.0).
- Specialties:Pulmonology, Allergy and Immunology, Family Medicine, Pediatrics
- Place of Service:Office, Inpatient Hospital, Emergency Room - Hospital, Outpatient Hospital