Cough variant asthma

This code represents a specific type of asthma where the predominant or sole symptom is a chronic cough, without the typical wheezing or shortness of breath associated with classic asthma. It is a form of asthma characterized by bronchial hyperresponsiveness, often triggered by allergens, exercise, or irritants, leading to persistent coughing.

Apply this code when documentation clearly indicates a diagnosis of cough variant asthma. This diagnosis is typically made after ruling out other causes of chronic cough and observing a positive response to bronchodilator therapy or a positive methacholine challenge test. Supporting documentation should include physician notes detailing the chronic cough, lack of other asthma symptoms, and diagnostic workup.

• Ensure the documentation explicitly states "cough variant asthma" or clearly describes the condition meeting this definition.
• Do not use this code for general chronic cough (R05) or unspecified asthma (J45.909) if cough variant asthma is specifically diagnosed.
• Consider sequencing this code as the primary diagnosis when it is the reason for the encounter, especially for diagnostic workup or management of this specific asthma type.