VA BENEFITS REFERENCE
DC 6602: Asthma, Bronchial
Read VA diagnostic code 6602 for Asthma, bronchial: published criteria, regulatory notes, related codes and official sources checked October 25, 2026.
Published criteria from 38 CFR 4.97, current through 2026-10-22. Historical decisions may require a different version. This reference does not diagnose a condition or determine an evaluation.
The Respiratory System · All Diagnostic Codes
DC 6602: Asthma, Bronchial
Diagnostic code 6602 addresses Asthma, bronchial. Read its specific instructions together with any shared formula, notes and linked provisions. These criteria describe evaluation after the applicable entitlement requirements are met; this reference does not diagnose a condition or determine a claim.
| Rating | |
|---|---|
| 6602 Asthma, bronchial: | |
| FEV-1 less than 40-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC less than 40 percent, or; more than one attack per week with episodes of respiratory failure, or; requires daily use of systemic (oral or parenteral) high dose corticosteroids or immuno-suppressive medications | 100 |
| FEV-1 of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 40 to 55 percent, or; at least monthly visits to a physician for required care of exacerbations, or; intermittent (at least three per year) courses of systemic (oral or parenteral) corticosteroids | 60 |
| FEV-1 of 56- to 70-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 56 to 70 percent, or; daily inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy, or; inhalational anti-inflammatory medication | 30 |
| FEV-1 of 71- to 80-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 71 to 80 percent, or; intermittent inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy | 10 |
| Note: In the absence of clinical findings of asthma at time of examination, a verified history of asthmatic attacks must be of record. | |
| 1 Review for entitlement to special monthly compensation under § 3.350 of this chapter. | |
What The Criteria Measure
- Does the decision identify diagnostic code 6602, and does the medical record describe the condition named by this code?
- Do dated records describe the frequency and duration specified by this particular provision, using its definitions?
- Are the required clinical measurements, testing methods and any stated exceptions documented by a qualified clinician?
- Do records identify the treatment, procedure and relevant dates that the provision actually distinguishes?
- Have the code-specific notes and cross-references been read before comparing any listed evaluation?
Related Public DBQs
Editorial subject matches, not official VA code-to-form assignments. Read the form scope and clinician instructions.
Shared Rules And Regulatory Context
Context provisions do not create an additional evaluation automatically assigned to every condition.
Related Guides
Official Sources
Last verified 2026-10-25. Source publication or legal effective dates are shown separately where available.
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