J38.5 Laryngeal spasm

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026.

Applicable to

• Laryngismus (stridulus)

Applies from J38 Diseases of vocal cords and larynx, not elsewhere classified

Excludes1 (never code together)

• congenital laryngeal stridor (P28.89)
• obstructive laryngitis (acute) (J05.0)
• postprocedural subglottic stenosis (J95.5)
• stridor (R06.1)
• ulcerative laryngitis (J04.0)

MS-DRG index

Defines the logic of DRG(s) 011-013 in MDC PRE.

Approximate ICD-9-CM (GEMs)

• 478.75 Laryngeal spasm

Code annotations containing back-references to J38.5

Back-references to J38.5

• Type 2 Excludes: J04 Acute laryngitis and tracheitis ("laryngismus (stridulus) (J38.5)")
• Type 1 Excludes: R06.1 Stridor ("laryngismus (stridulus) (J38.5)")

Diagnosis Index entries for J38.5

• Asthma, asthmatic (bronchial) (catarrh) (spasmodic) › Millar's (laryngismus stridulus)
• Asthma, asthmatic (bronchial) (catarrh) (spasmodic) › Wichmann's (laryngismus stridulus)
• Croup, croupous (catarrhal) (infectious) (inflammatory) (nondiphtheritic) › false
• Croup, croupous (catarrhal) (infectious) (inflammatory) (nondiphtheritic) › spasmodic
• Croup, croupous (catarrhal) (infectious) (inflammatory) (nondiphtheritic) › stridulous
• False › croup
• Laryngismus (stridulus)
• Laryngospasm
• Laryngotracheitis (acute) (Infectional) (infective) (viral) › spasmodic
• Laryngotracheitis (acute) (Infectional) (infective) (viral) › stridulous
• Millar's asthma
• Obstruction, obstructed, obstructive › airway › due to › laryngospasm
• Pseudocroup
• Spasm (s), spastic, spasticity › glottis
• Spasm (s), spastic, spasticity › glottis › reflex through recurrent laryngeal nerve
• Spasm (s), spastic, spasticity › larynx, laryngeal
• Wichman's asthma

Nearby codes

• J38.02 Paralysis of vocal cords and larynx, bilateral
• J38.1 Polyp of vocal cord and larynx
• J38.2 Nodules of vocal cords
• J38.3 Other diseases of vocal cords
• J38.4 Edema of larynx
• J38.5 Laryngeal spasm (this code)
• J38.6 Stenosis of larynx
• J38.7 Other diseases of larynx