MD11.5

ICD-11 MMS 2026-01

Dyspnoea

Description

Dyspnoea is used to describe perceptions of difficulty or distress related to breathing and is recognised as symptomatic of disease when it occurs under inappropriate circumstances. Dyspnoea is a presenting complaint of patients with a wide variety of medical diseases by multiple mechanisms. Dyspnoea is considered acute when it lasts from hours up to 3 weeks, subacute from 3 weeks up to 8 weeks, and chronic dyspnoea lasts more than 8 weeks.

Index terms

  • Dyspnoea
  • SOB - [shortness of breath]
  • breathlessness
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  • difficulty breathing
  • dyspnoea NOS
  • paroxysmal dyspnoea
  • respiration difficult
  • respiratory distress
  • short of breath
  • shortness of breath
  • winded
  • Orthopnoea
  • Dyspnoea crisis
  • Dyspnoea hyperventilation
  • Exertional dyspnoea
  • Nocturnal dyspnoea
  • paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea

Inclusions

  • Orthopnoea

Excludes

  • KB23.1 – Transient tachypnoea of newborn

Exclusions from above levels

  • CB00 – Adult acute respiratory distress syndrome
  • KB23 – Respiratory distress of newborn
  • KB2D – Respiratory failure of newborn
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  • MD33 – Respiratory arrest
  • 19 – Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period
  • JA66 – Clinical findings on antenatal screening of mother

Sibling codes

Foundation entity

Dyspnoea – http://id.who.int/icd/entity/960305085

Allowed postcoordination axes

Part of: MD11: Abnormalities of breathing › 21: Symptoms, signs or clinical findings, not elsewhere classified