Bronchiectasis with acute lower respiratory infection

This code signifies the presence of bronchiectasis, a chronic and irreversible dilation of the bronchi, complicated by an acute lower respiratory infection. This infection could be bacterial, viral, or fungal, affecting the lungs or lower airways in a patient already suffering from structural lung damage.

Apply this code when documentation explicitly states bronchiectasis and an co-occurring acute lower respiratory infection, such as acute bronchitis, pneumonia, or acute bronchiolitis. The physician's notes must clearly link the acute infection to the pre-existing bronchiectasis.

• Ensure the documentation specifies "acute" for the lower respiratory infection; chronic infections would be coded differently.
• Do not use this code if the acute infection is in the upper respiratory tract; a different code for bronchiectasis with an upper respiratory infection exists.
• Always sequence this code first if the acute lower respiratory infection is the primary reason for the encounter and the bronchiectasis is a significant co-morbidity.