ICD-10-CM Code For Abnormalities Of Breathing: Group Overview

The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) code group R06 includes signs and symptoms related to abnormal breathing such as shortness of breath, respiratory distress, abnormal respiratory sounds, and variations in respiratory rate that do not specify a definitive underlying respiratory disease. These ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes are used to document acute or chronic presentations of respiratory symptomatology, capturing clinical severity and the need for further evaluation or intervention. Accurate coding within the ICD-10-CM R06 group supports proper claim adjudication, complete clinical documentation, and appropriate reimbursement.

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ICD-10-CM R06: Abnormalities Of Breathing Overview

The ICD-10-CM R06 group captures signs and symptoms related to abnormal breathing patterns and respiratory sounds affecting the respiratory system. These diagnoses describe clinical findings such as shortness of breath, abnormal respiratory rate, and abnormal respiratory sounds rather than specific underlying diseases. Accurate coding ensures the clinical picture is clear for claims processing and supports appropriate reimbursement tied to documented severity.

When to Use

Use a code from this group to report documented respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea, tachypnea, bradypnea, or abnormal breath sounds when these are the primary clinical findings. These codes are appropriate when the provider documents the breathing abnormality as a symptom, during initial encounters before a specific respiratory diagnosis is determined, or to capture ongoing symptomatic care.

ICD-10-CM Codes

17 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
R06.00	Dyspnea, unspecified
R06.01	Orthopnea
R06.02	Shortness of breath
R06.03	Acute respiratory distress
R06.09	Other forms of dyspnea
R06.1	Stridor
R06.2	Wheezing
R06.3	Periodic breathing
R06.4	Hyperventilation
R06.5	Mouth breathing
R06.6	Hiccough
R06.7	Sneezing
R06.81	Apnea, not elsewhere classified
R06.82	Tachypnea, not elsewhere classified
R06.83	Snoring
R06.89	Other abnormalities of breathing
R06.9	Unspecified abnormalities of breathing

DRG Codes

4 rows

DRG Code	Description
154	Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses with MCC
155	Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses with CC
156	Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses without CC/MCC
204	Respiratory Signs and Symptoms

Typical Clinical Scenarios

An adult presents to the emergency department with sudden onset difficulty breathing, audible wheeze, and rapid shallow respirations after exposure to a known allergen. Triage notes oxygen saturation 88% on room air and accessory muscle use, prompting urgent evaluation for acute respiratory compromise; a symptom-based breathing abnormality code is assigned when no definitive obstructive diagnosis yet documented. Typical codes: R06.00, R06.2
A middle-aged patient with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease follows in clinic for progressive exertional shortness of breath over months and reports daytime dyspnea with minimal activity. The clinician documents chronic breathlessness and schedules pulmonary function testing; a chronic symptom code from this group is used to capture the ongoing complaint as part of longitudinal management. Typical codes: R06.02, R06.83
An inpatient with advanced heart failure develops new-onset rapid, irregular breathing and intermittent apnea episodes overnight noted on telemetry and nursing assessment; these findings complicate the hospital course and are recorded as breathing abnormalities related to the underlying cardiac condition. A specific breathing pattern code is assigned to reflect the inpatient complication and guide monitoring. Typical codes: R06.6, R06.83

Related Codes

R00-ABNORMALITIES-OF-HEART-BEAT

ICD-10-CM Code For Abnormalities Of Heart Beat: Group Overview

R01-CARDIAC-MURMURS-AND-OTHER-CARDIAC-SOUNDS

ICD-10-CM Code For Cardiac Murmurs And Other Cardiac Sounds: Group Overview

R03-ABNORMAL-BLOOD-PRESSURE-READING

ICD-10-CM Code For Abnormal Blood-Pressure Reading Without Diagnosis: Group Overview

R04-HEMORRHAGE-FROM-RESPIRATORY-PASSAGES

ICD-10-CM Code For Hemorrhage From Respiratory Passages: Group Overview

R05-COUGH

ICD-10-CM Code For Cough: Group Overview

R07-PAIN-IN-THROAT-AND-CHEST

ICD-10-CM Code For Pain In Throat And Chest: Group Overview

R09-OTHER-SYMPTOMS-AND-SIGNS

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Symptoms And Signs Involving The Circulatory And Respiratory System: Group Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

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When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

17 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
R06.00	Dyspnea, unspecified
R06.01	Orthopnea
R06.02	Shortness of breath
R06.03	Acute respiratory distress
R06.09	Other forms of dyspnea
R06.1	Stridor
R06.2	Wheezing
R06.3	Periodic breathing
R06.4	Hyperventilation
R06.5	Mouth breathing
R06.6	Hiccough
R06.7	Sneezing
R06.81	Apnea, not elsewhere classified
R06.82	Tachypnea, not elsewhere classified
R06.83	Snoring
R06.89	Other abnormalities of breathing
R06.9	Unspecified abnormalities of breathing

DRG Codes

4 rows

DRG Code	Description
154	Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses with MCC
155	Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses with CC
156	Other Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat Diagnoses without CC/MCC
204	Respiratory Signs and Symptoms

Typical Clinical Scenarios

An adult presents to the emergency department with sudden onset difficulty breathing, audible wheeze, and rapid shallow respirations after exposure to a known allergen. Triage notes oxygen saturation 88% on room air and accessory muscle use, prompting urgent evaluation for acute respiratory compromise; a symptom-based breathing abnormality code is assigned when no definitive obstructive diagnosis yet documented. Typical codes: R06.00, R06.2
A middle-aged patient with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease follows in clinic for progressive exertional shortness of breath over months and reports daytime dyspnea with minimal activity. The clinician documents chronic breathlessness and schedules pulmonary function testing; a chronic symptom code from this group is used to capture the ongoing complaint as part of longitudinal management. Typical codes: R06.02, R06.83
An inpatient with advanced heart failure develops new-onset rapid, irregular breathing and intermittent apnea episodes overnight noted on telemetry and nursing assessment; these findings complicate the hospital course and are recorded as breathing abnormalities related to the underlying cardiac condition. A specific breathing pattern code is assigned to reflect the inpatient complication and guide monitoring. Typical codes: R06.6, R06.83

Related Codes

R00-ABNORMALITIES-OF-HEART-BEAT

ICD-10-CM Code For Abnormalities Of Heart Beat: Group Overview

R01-CARDIAC-MURMURS-AND-OTHER-CARDIAC-SOUNDS

ICD-10-CM Code For Cardiac Murmurs And Other Cardiac Sounds: Group Overview

R03-ABNORMAL-BLOOD-PRESSURE-READING

ICD-10-CM Code For Abnormal Blood-Pressure Reading Without Diagnosis: Group Overview

R04-HEMORRHAGE-FROM-RESPIRATORY-PASSAGES

ICD-10-CM Code For Hemorrhage From Respiratory Passages: Group Overview

R05-COUGH

ICD-10-CM Code For Cough: Group Overview

R07-PAIN-IN-THROAT-AND-CHEST

ICD-10-CM Code For Pain In Throat And Chest: Group Overview

R09-OTHER-SYMPTOMS-AND-SIGNS

ICD-10-CM Code For Other Symptoms And Signs Involving The Circulatory And Respiratory System: Group Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

ICD-10-CM Code For Abnormalities Of Breathing: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Abnormalities Of Breathing: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM R06: Abnormalities Of Breathing Overview

ICD-10-CM Code For Abnormalities Of Breathing: Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-CM Code For Abnormalities Of Breathing: Group Overview policy alerts

ICD-10-CM R06: Abnormalities Of Breathing Overview

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which clinical findings are captured by the ICD-10-CM R06 group?

How does accurate coding within `R06` support reimbursement and claims processing?

Which specific `R06` codes denote types of dyspnea and respiratory distress?

What codes in `R06` describe abnormal respiratory sounds and patterns?

Which related DRGs are associated with the `R06` diagnosis group?

References

When to Use

ICD-10-CM Codes

DRG Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which clinical findings are captured by the ICD-10-CM R06 group?

How does accurate coding within `R06` support reimbursement and claims processing?

Which specific `R06` codes denote types of dyspnea and respiratory distress?

What codes in `R06` describe abnormal respiratory sounds and patterns?

Which related DRGs are associated with the `R06` diagnosis group?

References