Reference: 38 CFR 4.97

Sources & Related Guides

What is the VA rating for Trachea and Bronchi?

Review trachea/bronchus guidance covering chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD's shared pulmonary-function table (DC 6600/6603/6604), bronchiectasis (DC 6601), and asthma (DC 6602).

Condition Overview & Clinical Scope

VA rates five distinct diagnoses under this hub. Chronic bronchitis (DC 6600), emphysema (DC 6603), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (DC 6604) share a textually identical pulmonary-function-based 4-tier table. Bronchiectasis (DC 6601) is rated on incapacitating-episode duration or a bundled symptom-severity finding. Asthma (DC 6602) is rated on its own combination of pulmonary-function values and treatment-intensity findings. Of the five, only DC 6600, 6603, and 6604 are governed by section 4.96(d)'s pulmonary-function-testing special provisions -- bronchiectasis (DC 6601) and asthma (DC 6602) are both excluded.

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Common Questions & FAQs

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What are you trying to understand about trachea and bronchi?

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Overview

About this condition

VA rates five distinct diagnoses under this hub. Chronic bronchitis (DC 6600), emphysema (DC 6603), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (DC 6604) share a textually identical pulmonary-function-based 4-tier table. Bronchiectasis (DC 6601) is rated on incapacitating-episode duration or a bundled symptom-severity finding. Asthma (DC 6602) is rated on its own combination of pulmonary-function values and treatment-intensity findings. Of the five, only DC 6600, 6603, and 6604 are governed by section 4.96(d)'s pulmonary-function-testing special provisions -- bronchiectasis (DC 6601) and asthma (DC 6602) are both excluded.

Regulatory authority: 38 CFR 4.97, Diagnostic Codes 6600, 6601, 6602, 6603, 6604

This hub explains the published DC 6600/6601/6602/6603/6604 schedule and common record language. It does not diagnose a respiratory condition, determine service connection, infer undocumented findings, estimate an outcome, or replace medical care or accredited representation. Section 4.96(a)'s predominant-disability-picture rule (diagnostic codes 6600-6817 and 6822-6847 cannot be combined with each other via section 4.25; a single predominant code is chosen instead, possibly elevated one step) is not automated here -- disclosed, not silently applied. DC 6601's alternative comparison against DC 6600 (whichever provides the higher rating) is also disclosed, not automated. A pending VA rulemaking (RIN 2900-AQ72) may eventually reorganize parts of this schedule; RatingScope does not assume how or whether it will apply to these specific codes.

Percentage Guides

Understanding Your Percentage

Select a pathway to see what the published criteria ask about, what records may clarify it, and what should not be assumed.

100%

Highest listed pathway

FEV-1 under 40 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC under 40 percent, or DLCO(SB) under 40 percent predicted, or maximum exercise capacity under 15 ml/kg/min, or any of five listed severe clinical findings (cor pulmonale, right ventricular hypertrophy, pulmonary hypertension, an acute respiratory failure episode, or a need for outpatient oxygen therapy).

What separates the next level: The 60% tier uses the same four pulmonary-function measures at less severe thresholds, with no severe-clinical-finding alternative.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
FEV-1 less than 40 percent of predicted value, or; the ratio of Forced Expiratory Volume in one second to Forced Vital Capacity (FEV-1/FVC) less than 40 percent, or; Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide by the Single Breath Method (DLCO (SB)) less than 40-percent predicted, or; maximum exercise capacity less than 15 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption (with cardiac or respiratory limitation), or; cor pulmonale (right heart failure), or; right ventricular hypertrophy, or; pulmonary hypertension (shown by Echo or cardiac catheterization), or; episode(s) of acute respiratory failure, or; requires outpatient oxygen therapy.
Qualification explanation
Any single one of the nine listed alternatives independently reaches this tier -- a severe clinical finding alone (for example, documented cor pulmonale) is just as sufficient as a qualifying pulmonary-function value.
Examples
Records document FEV-1 of 32 percent predicted, with no other findings.; Records document normal pulmonary function testing, but confirm cor pulmonale by echocardiogram.
Medical evidence
Respiratory Conditions DBQ; Pulmonary function test results (spirometry, DLCO); Echocardiogram or cardiac catheterization records; Treatment records documenting oxygen therapy
Functional impact examples
Severe pulmonary impairment or a serious cardiopulmonary complication requiring intensive management.
Common misconceptions
A severe clinical finding (like cor pulmonale) alone is sufficient -- normal pulmonary function test results elsewhere do not prevent this tier from applying.; This exact same 100 percent tier text applies identically to chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD -- the diagnosis label does not change the criteria.
Related topics
FEV-1; FEV-1/FVC; DLCO(SB); maximum exercise capacity; cor pulmonale
Source context
38 CFR 4.97; 6600; Current DC 6600 educational pathway and highest listed schedular percentage.

60%

Next: 100%

FEV-1 40-55 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC 40-55 percent, or DLCO(SB) 40-55 percent predicted, or maximum oxygen consumption 15-20 ml/kg/min.

What separates the next level: The 100% tier requires values below 40 percent (or under 15 ml/kg/min), or one of the five severe clinical findings instead.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
FEV-1 of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 40 to 55 percent, or; DLCO (SB) of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or; maximum oxygen consumption of 15 to 20 ml/kg/min (with cardiorespiratory limit).
Qualification explanation
Any single one of the four measures reaching this range is independently sufficient.
Examples
Records document FEV-1/FVC of 48 percent, with all other measures normal.
Medical evidence
Respiratory Conditions DBQ; Pulmonary function test results
Functional impact examples
Moderately severe pulmonary impairment.
Common misconceptions
This tier has no severe-clinical-finding alternative -- only the four pulmonary-function measures apply here.
Related topics
FEV-1; FEV-1/FVC; DLCO(SB); maximum exercise capacity
Source context
38 CFR 4.97; 6600; Current DC 6600 educational pathway.

30%

Next: 60%

FEV-1 56-70 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC 56-70 percent, or DLCO(SB) 56-65 percent predicted.

What separates the next level: The 60% tier requires values in the 40-55 percent range (or 15-20 ml/kg/min exercise capacity) instead.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
FEV-1 of 56- to 70-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 56 to 70 percent, or; DLCO (SB) 56- to 65-percent predicted.
Qualification explanation
Any single one of the three measures reaching this range is independently sufficient. Note the DLCO(SB) range (56-65 percent) is narrower than the FEV-1/FEV-1-FVC range (56-70 percent) at this tier specifically.
Examples
Records document FEV-1 of 65 percent predicted, with DLCO(SB) at 70 percent (which would not independently qualify at this tier, but the FEV-1 value alone is sufficient).
Medical evidence
Respiratory Conditions DBQ; Pulmonary function test results
Functional impact examples
Moderate pulmonary impairment.
Common misconceptions
The DLCO(SB) boundary at this tier (65 percent, not 70) is easy to misread -- it is not identical to the FEV-1/FEV-1-FVC boundary.
Related topics
FEV-1; FEV-1/FVC; DLCO(SB)
Source context
38 CFR 4.97; 6600; Current DC 6600 educational pathway.

10%

Next: 30%

FEV-1 71-80 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC 71-80 percent, or DLCO(SB) 66-80 percent predicted. This is the lowest listed tier -- there is no explicit 0 percent row.

What separates the next level: The 30% tier requires values in the 56-70 percent (or 56-65 percent DLCO) range instead.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
FEV-1 of 71- to 80-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 71 to 80 percent, or; DLCO (SB) 66- to 80-percent predicted.
Qualification explanation
Any single one of the three measures reaching this range is independently sufficient.
Examples
Records document FEV-1/FVC of 75 percent, with all other measures normal or untested.
Medical evidence
Respiratory Conditions DBQ; Pulmonary function test results
Functional impact examples
Mild, documented pulmonary impairment even at this foundation level.
Common misconceptions
DC 6600/6603/6604 have no listed 0 percent tier; a confirmed diagnosis with all measures above 80 percent and no severe findings falls outside this table entirely, not to an invented 0 percent row.
Related topics
FEV-1; FEV-1/FVC; DLCO(SB)
Source context
38 CFR 4.97; 6600; Current DC 6600 educational pathway and lowest listed schedular percentage.

Percentage Guides

Understanding Your Percentage -- Bronchiectasis (DC 6601)

Select a pathway to see what the published criteria ask about, what records may clarify it, and what should not be assumed.

DC 6601 -- 100%

Highest listed pathway

Incapacitating episodes of infection totaling at least six weeks in the past year.

What separates the next level: The 60% tier requires 4-6 weeks total duration, or a separate bundled severe symptom pattern instead.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
With incapacitating episodes of infection of at least six weeks total duration per year.
Qualification explanation
An incapacitating episode requires prescribed bedrest and treatment by a physician, per the regulation's own Note.
Examples
Treatment records document three separate incapacitating episodes totaling 7 weeks over the past year.
Medical evidence
Respiratory Conditions DBQ; Treatment records documenting bedrest and physician care
Functional impact examples
Extensive time lost to incapacitating infection episodes.
Common misconceptions
DC 6601 also allows rating according to chronic bronchitis's (DC 6600) pulmonary-function criteria instead, whichever is higher -- RatingScope discloses this comparison but does not automate it.
Related topics
incapacitating episode; DC 6600 comparison
Source context
38 CFR 4.97; 6601; Current DC 6601 educational pathway and highest listed schedular percentage.

DC 6601 -- 60%

Next: 100%

Incapacitating episodes totaling 4-6 weeks in the past year, or near-constant purulent/blood-tinged cough with anorexia, weight loss, and frank hemoptysis requiring near-continuous antibiotic use.

What separates the next level: The 100% tier requires 6+ weeks duration instead; there is no equivalent symptom-pattern alternative listed at the 100 percent tier.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
With incapacitating episodes of infection of four to six weeks total duration per year, or; near constant findings of cough with purulent sputum associated with anorexia, weight loss, and frank hemoptysis and requiring antibiotic usage almost continuously.
Qualification explanation
Either the duration path or the bundled severe symptom pattern independently reaches this tier.
Examples
Records document near-continuous antibiotic use for cough with documented weight loss and hemoptysis, even though total incapacitating-episode duration is under 4 weeks.
Medical evidence
Respiratory Conditions DBQ; Treatment records documenting symptom pattern and antibiotic use
Functional impact examples
A severe, near-continuous infectious symptom burden.
Common misconceptions
The duration path and the symptom-pattern path are genuinely independent alternatives -- meeting either one alone is sufficient.
Related topics
incapacitating episode; bundled symptom pattern
Source context
38 CFR 4.97; 6601; Current DC 6601 educational pathway.

DC 6601 -- 30%

Next: 60%

Incapacitating episodes totaling 2-4 weeks in the past year, or daily productive cough (purulent or blood-tinged at times) requiring a prolonged (4-6 week) antibiotic course more than twice a year.

What separates the next level: The 60% tier requires 4-6 weeks duration, or the more severe near-continuous symptom pattern instead.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
With incapacitating episodes of infection of two to four weeks total duration per year, or; daily productive cough with sputum that is at times purulent or blood-tinged and that requires prolonged (lasting four to six weeks) antibiotic usage more than twice a year.
Qualification explanation
Either the duration path or the bundled moderate symptom pattern independently reaches this tier.
Examples
Records document daily productive cough requiring two separate 5-week antibiotic courses over the year.
Medical evidence
Respiratory Conditions DBQ; Treatment records documenting antibiotic course frequency and duration
Functional impact examples
A recurring, moderate infectious symptom burden.
Common misconceptions
This tier's symptom pattern is distinguished from the 60 percent tier's by frequency (more than twice a year vs. near-continuous) and severity, not just duration alone.
Related topics
incapacitating episode; bundled symptom pattern
Source context
38 CFR 4.97; 6601; Current DC 6601 educational pathway.

DC 6601 -- 10%

Next: 30%

Intermittent productive cough with acute infection requiring antibiotics at least twice a year. This is the lowest listed DC 6601 tier.

What separates the next level: The 30% tier requires either a longer episode duration or the bundled moderate symptom pattern instead.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
Intermittent productive cough with acute infection requiring a course of antibiotics at least twice a year.
Qualification explanation
A single, self-contained criterion -- not a duration band like the tiers above it.
Examples
Records document two antibiotic courses in the past year for intermittent productive cough.
Medical evidence
Respiratory Conditions DBQ; Treatment records documenting antibiotic course frequency
Functional impact examples
A documented, confirmed infectious pattern even at this foundation level.
Common misconceptions
DC 6601 has no listed 0 percent tier; below-threshold findings fall outside this table entirely, not to an invented 0 percent row.
Related topics
acute infection; antibiotic course frequency
Source context
38 CFR 4.97; 6601; Current DC 6601 educational pathway and lowest listed schedular percentage.

Percentage Guides

Understanding Your Percentage -- Asthma, Bronchial (DC 6602)

Select a pathway to see what the published criteria ask about, what records may clarify it, and what should not be assumed.

DC 6602 -- 100%

Highest listed pathway

FEV-1 under 40 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC under 40 percent, or more than one attack per week with episodes of respiratory failure, or daily use of high-dose systemic corticosteroids or immunosuppressive medications.

What separates the next level: The 60% tier uses less severe pulmonary-function values and less intensive treatment findings instead.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
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.
Qualification explanation
Any one of the four listed alternatives independently reaches this tier.
Examples
Records document daily high-dose oral corticosteroid use, with FEV-1 and FEV-1/FVC both normal.
Medical evidence
Respiratory Conditions DBQ; Pulmonary function test results; Medication records documenting systemic corticosteroid/immunosuppressive use
Functional impact examples
Severe, frequently life-threatening asthma requiring intensive medication management.
Common misconceptions
Unlike chronic bronchitis/emphysema/COPD's table, asthma's criteria are entirely self-contained and are not subject to section 4.96(d)'s pulmonary-function-testing special provisions.; DC 6602's Note ('In the absence of clinical findings of asthma at time of examination, a verified history of asthmatic attacks must be of record') applies to the entire diagnostic code, not only the 10 percent tier -- it can matter at this tier too if clinical findings are absent at the time of examination.
Related topics
FEV-1; attack frequency; systemic corticosteroids
Source context
38 CFR 4.97; 6602; Current DC 6602 educational pathway and highest listed schedular percentage.

DC 6602 -- 60%

Next: 100%

FEV-1 40-55 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC 40-55 percent, or at least monthly physician visits for exacerbations, or intermittent (3+ per year) systemic corticosteroid courses.

What separates the next level: The 100% tier requires more severe pulmonary-function values or more intensive treatment findings instead.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
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.
Qualification explanation
Any one of the four listed alternatives independently reaches this tier.
Examples
Records document at least monthly physician visits for exacerbations over the past year.
Medical evidence
Respiratory Conditions DBQ; Pulmonary function test results; Treatment records documenting physician-visit frequency and corticosteroid courses
Functional impact examples
Frequent exacerbations requiring regular physician management.
Common misconceptions
3 or more systemic corticosteroid courses per year is the specific floor for this tier's medication path -- fewer courses do not qualify here.; DC 6602's Note ('In the absence of clinical findings of asthma at time of examination, a verified history of asthmatic attacks must be of record') applies to the entire diagnostic code, not only the 10 percent tier -- it can matter at this tier too if clinical findings are absent at the time of examination.
Related topics
FEV-1; physician visits; systemic corticosteroids
Source context
38 CFR 4.97; 6602; Current DC 6602 educational pathway.

DC 6602 -- 30%

Next: 60%

FEV-1 56-70 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC 56-70 percent, or daily inhalational/oral bronchodilator therapy, or inhalational anti-inflammatory medication.

What separates the next level: The 10% tier requires only intermittent (not daily) bronchodilator therapy instead.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
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.
Qualification explanation
Any one of the four listed alternatives independently reaches this tier.
Examples
Records document daily inhaled corticosteroid use, with normal pulmonary function testing.
Medical evidence
Respiratory Conditions DBQ; Pulmonary function test results; Medication records documenting daily therapy
Functional impact examples
Ongoing daily medication management for moderate asthma.
Common misconceptions
Daily therapy (this tier) and intermittent therapy (the 10 percent tier) are the specific dividing line -- the medication type itself does not otherwise distinguish these two tiers.; DC 6602's Note ('In the absence of clinical findings of asthma at time of examination, a verified history of asthmatic attacks must be of record') applies to the entire diagnostic code, not only the 10 percent tier -- it can matter at this tier too if clinical findings are absent at the time of examination.
Related topics
FEV-1; daily bronchodilator therapy
Source context
38 CFR 4.97; 6602; Current DC 6602 educational pathway.

DC 6602 -- 10%

Next: 30%

FEV-1 71-80 percent predicted, or FEV-1/FVC 71-80 percent, or intermittent inhalational/oral bronchodilator therapy. This is the lowest listed DC 6602 tier.

What separates the next level: The 30% tier requires daily (not intermittent) bronchodilator therapy, or more severe pulmonary-function values, instead.

Review CFR criteria, examples, and evidence
Official CFR language
FEV-1 of 71- to 80-percent predicted, or; FEV-1/FVC of 71 to 80 percent, or; intermittent inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy.
Qualification explanation
Any one of the three listed alternatives independently reaches this tier.
Examples
Records document occasional as-needed inhaler use, with FEV-1 at 75 percent predicted.
Medical evidence
Respiratory Conditions DBQ; Pulmonary function test results
Functional impact examples
A documented, confirmed mild asthma pattern even at this foundation level.
Common misconceptions
In the absence of clinical findings of asthma at time of examination, the regulation's own Note requires a verified history of asthmatic attacks to be of record -- a diagnosis alone at some point in the past is not automatically sufficient without that verified history.; This Note applies to DC 6602's entire diagnostic code, not only this 10 percent tier -- confirmed directly against the regulation's text, which places the Note after all four tiers.
Related topics
FEV-1; intermittent bronchodilator therapy
Source context
38 CFR 4.97; 6602; Current DC 6602 educational pathway and lowest listed schedular percentage.

Learn

Understand the details behind the criteria

Use these short guides to connect published terms with the records and observations that may clarify them.

Why chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD share one table

DC 6600 (chronic bronchitis), DC 6603 (emphysema), and DC 6604 (COPD) are three separate diagnostic codes that use textually identical rating criteria. Confirming this directly against the live regulation (rather than assuming three diagnoses meant three different tables) is what allows RatingScope to evaluate all three with one shared pulmonary-function ladder.

  • The 100/60/30/10 percent tier language for all three codes is word-for-word identical: the same FEV-1, FEV-1/FVC, DLCO(SB), maximum exercise capacity, and severe-clinical-finding criteria apply regardless of which of the three diagnoses is documented.
  • This does not mean the three diagnoses are interchangeable medically -- it means VA rates their severity the same way once a diagnosis is confirmed.
  • Section 4.96(a)'s predominant-disability-picture rule still applies if a veteran has more than one of these diagnoses (or another respiratory diagnosis) documented at once -- see that rule's own learning topic.

Records to review: Respiratory Conditions DBQ; pulmonary function test results.

Asthma's exclusion from the pulmonary-function-testing special provisions

Section 4.96(d) lists special provisions governing how pulmonary function tests are administered and interpreted for DC 6600, 6603, 6604, 6825-6833, and 6840-6845. DC 6602 (asthma) is not on that list.

  • This means asthma's own table (which already includes FEV-1 and FEV-1/FVC as two of several independent alternatives) is evaluated using whatever final test values are documented, without section 4.96(d)'s additional test-selection framework layered on top.
  • RatingScope does not model section 4.96(d)'s test-administration mechanics (which test result to trust when several are available, post-bronchodilator preference, when DLCO testing is not required) as evaluator logic for any diagnosis in this hub -- those are examiner-side test-selection rules, not veteran-facing rating criteria. This means asthma was never at risk of having that framework misapplied to it in the first place.
  • This is a real, easy-to-miss asymmetry: asthma looks similar to chronic bronchitis/emphysema/COPD on the surface (all four mention FEV-1 and FEV-1/FVC), but only the other three are governed by section 4.96(d).

Records to review: Respiratory Conditions DBQ; pulmonary function test results.

The DC 6601/DC 6600 comparison (not yet automated)

DC 6601 (bronchiectasis) may also be rated according to pulmonary impairment as for chronic bronchitis (DC 6600), whichever provides the higher rating. RatingScope does not automate this comparison.

  • This means a bronchiectasis diagnosis could, in principle, be rated using either DC 6601's own episode/symptom-based table, or DC 6600's pulmonary-function-based table -- whichever the documented facts support at a higher percentage.
  • RatingScope's DC 6601 guidance in this hub reflects DC 6601's own table only; it does not calculate what DC 6600's table would yield for the same veteran.
  • This is the same treatment given to every other 'whichever provides the higher/predominant rating' comparison this session (Scars' multi-zone comparison, Crohn's/IBD's DC 7329 comparison) -- a genuinely open-ended comparison, not a lookup table.

Records to review: treatment records documenting both the episode/symptom pattern and pulmonary function test results.

The section 4.96(a) combination rule (not yet automated)

38 CFR 4.96(a) states that ratings under diagnostic codes 6600 through 6817 and 6822 through 6847 will not be combined with each other; a single rating is assigned under whichever code reflects the predominant disability, with possible elevation to the next higher tier. RatingScope does not automate this rule.

  • This spans the entire respiratory schedule, not just the five codes in this hub -- it would also apply if a veteran has, for example, both a trachea/bronchi diagnosis and a separate tuberculosis or interstitial-lung-disease finding.
  • DC 6847 (sleep apnea) -- this hub's own related-condition link -- sits squarely within the '6822 through 6847' range, confirmed directly against the regulation's text. A veteran with both a trachea/bronchi diagnosis and a documented sleep apnea diagnosis is a concrete, not hypothetical, example of when this rule would apply.
  • RatingScope discloses this as a known, deferred gap rather than guessing which code would predominate or attempting the elevation itself.
  • This is the same treatment given to every other predominant-disability combination rule this session (Peptic Disease and Crohn's/IBD's section 4.114 rule, Scars' section 4.118(b) rule).

Records to review: treatment records documenting each diagnosis; clinician assessment of predominant disability.

A pending rulemaking may eventually reorganize this schedule (not yet finalized)

RIN 2900-AQ72 is an active VA rulemaking that would add a new diagnostic code for constrictive/obliterative bronchiolitis and may consolidate some diagnostic codes currently in the respiratory system into an otolaryngology category. RatingScope does not assume whether or how this eventually affects DC 6600-6604.

  • The rulemaking's public abstracts confirm a new bronchiolitis code is proposed, and separately that some codes may move to an otolaryngology-scoped section -- but whether that consolidation would touch any of DC 6600-6604 specifically, versus only the sinusitis/rhinitis/larynx codes elsewhere in section 4.97, is genuinely unclear from public documents alone.
  • As of this hub's current sourcing, the live regulation is unchanged: all five diagnostic codes in this hub remain exactly as described here.
  • RatingScope will revisit this disclosure if the rule is finalized, rather than guessing its eventual scope now.

Records to review: Federal Register rulemaking history.

Common trachea/bronchus evidence

Trachea/bronchus evidence is strongest when different records describe the same confirmed pattern consistently across diagnosis, pulmonary function values, and treatment intensity.

  • Medical records can document diagnosis, pulmonary function test results, and treatment history.
  • The Respiratory Conditions DBQ organizes findings for all five diagnoses in this hub, including a shared pulmonary-function-testing section.
  • For bronchiectasis and asthma specifically, treatment records documenting episode/attack frequency and medication intensity are especially important, since their tables depend on more than pulmonary function values alone.
  • No single record automatically determines a percentage; the confirmed, documented pattern across the applicable diagnosis's specific findings matters.

Records to review: medical records; Respiratory Conditions DBQ; pulmonary function test results.

How to read the Respiratory Conditions DBQ

The public Respiratory Conditions (other than Tuberculosis and Sleep Apnea) DBQ, updated 2024-08-27, maps closely to all five diagnoses in this hub.

  • Its Part A (Asthma) and Part B (Bronchiectasis) fields map closely to DC 6602 and DC 6601's own tables.
  • Chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD have no dedicated Part -- they are evaluated entirely through the DBQ's shared pulmonary-function-testing section, consistent with their textually-identical, objective-only tables.
  • That shared section's fields (pre/post-bronchodilator FVC, FEV-1, FEV-1/FVC, DLCO, and the 'PFTs not required if...' checklist) map directly to section 4.96(d)'s special provisions.
  • The DBQ's own multiple-conditions question directly operationalizes section 4.96(a)'s predominant-disability judgment.
  • The examiner gathers evidence; the examiner does not issue the final benefits decision.

Records to review: Respiratory Conditions DBQ; C&P examination; treatment history.

Evidence

Evidence that may clarify the published criteria

Medical and treatment records

May document diagnosis, pulmonary function values, and treatment intensity for the applicable diagnosis.

Diagnosis or treatment alone does not establish a percentage without the applicable diagnosis's specific documented findings.

Respiratory Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire

Organizes diagnosis, pulmonary function test results, and (for asthma and bronchiectasis) attack/episode frequency and treatment-intensity findings.

A DBQ organizes evidence but does not issue the final VA decision.

Pulmonary function test results

Spirometry (FEV-1, FVC, FEV-1/FVC) and DLCO(SB) results are the primary basis for the shared ladder and one alternative path for asthma.

Test results alone, without a confirmed diagnosis, do not establish a percentage.

Official VA Forms & DBQs

Downloadable DBQs & Supporting Claim Forms

Take the public DBQ to your private physician or review it prior to your C&P examination.

Terminology

Plain-English terms

FEV-1

How much air a person can forcefully exhale in one second, compared to what is expected for someone of their age, sex, and height.

One of several independent 'or' criteria feeding every tier of the shared ladder and of asthma's own table.

Pulmonary function test results; FEV-1/FVC; DLCO(SB)

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DLCO(SB)

A measure of how well oxygen passes from the lungs into the bloodstream.

One of the shared ladder's independent 'or' criteria; its band boundaries differ slightly from FEV-1/FEV-1-FVC at the 30 percent tier (56-65 percent, not 56-70 percent). Not part of DC 6602 (asthma)'s own table.

Pulmonary function test results; FEV-1; asthma-pft-exclusion

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Section 4.96(d) special provisions

Rules for which test result to use when documenting pulmonary function, including when testing is not required at all and which of several results to trust when they disagree.

These are examiner-side test-selection mechanics, not additional rating criteria -- RatingScope takes whatever final documented value is reported rather than modeling these mechanics. DC 6602 (asthma) is explicitly excluded from this list.

Pulmonary function test results; asthma-pft-exclusion

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TDIU

Even if the schedular rating for Trachea and Bronchi does not reach 100 percent, TDIU may still provide a pathway to compensation at the 100 percent rate, based on unemployability from this and/or other service-connected disabilities combined.

A lower schedular percentage does not by itself foreclose TDIU eligibility -- this hub computes only the schedular percentage for this specific condition and does not determine TDIU eligibility.

Employment history; vocational impact documentation; occupational impairment

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Common Questions

Questions veterans commonly ask

How does VA rate chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or COPD?

VA uses Diagnostic Codes 6600, 6603, and 6604, which share a textually identical 4-tier table (100/60/30/10 percent) based on FEV-1, FEV-1/FVC, DLCO(SB), maximum exercise capacity, and (at the 100 percent tier only) five listed severe clinical findings.

How does VA rate bronchiectasis?

VA uses Diagnostic Code 6601, a 3-tier table (100/60/30 percent) based on incapacitating-episode duration or a bundled symptom-severity finding, plus a separate 10 percent tier for less frequent acute infections. Bronchiectasis may also be rated under DC 6600's criteria instead, whichever is higher -- RatingScope discloses this but does not automate it.

How does VA rate asthma?

VA uses Diagnostic Code 6602, a 4-tier table combining its own FEV-1/FEV-1-FVC bands with attack-frequency and medication-intensity findings. Unlike chronic bronchitis/emphysema/COPD, asthma is not governed by section 4.96(d)'s pulmonary-function-testing special provisions.

Why do bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD share the same table?

The current regulation's text for DC 6600, 6603, and 6604 is word-for-word identical, confirmed directly against the live regulation. This allows RatingScope to evaluate all three with one shared pulmonary-function ladder rather than three separately written tables.

Is asthma tested the same way as the other conditions?

No. Section 4.96(d)'s pulmonary-function-testing special provisions explicitly list DC 6600, 6603, and 6604 (and several other, unrelated codes), but not DC 6602 (asthma). Asthma's own table is self-contained.

What if I have more than one respiratory diagnosis?

Section 4.96(a) states that ratings under this diagnostic code range cannot be combined with each other; a single predominant-disability code is chosen instead, possibly elevated one step. RatingScope discloses this rule but does not automate it.

What evidence commonly helps explain trachea/bronchus condition severity?

A Respiratory Conditions DBQ, pulmonary function test results, and (for asthma or bronchiectasis) treatment records documenting attack or episode frequency may help explain the confirmed pattern. No single record automatically determines a percentage.

What happens during a trachea/bronchus C&P exam?

The examiner may review diagnosis, pulmonary function test results, and, where applicable, episode duration, attack frequency, or medication intensity. The examination gathers information for VA; the examiner does not issue the final benefits decision.

If my schedular rating for Trachea and Bronchi is below 100%, can I still be compensated at the 100% rate?

Possibly, through TDIU (Total Disability rating based on Individual Unemployability, 38 CFR 4.16) -- a separate pathway to 100 percent compensation based on unemployability, from this and/or other service-connected disabilities combined, independent of whether the schedular rating itself reaches 100 percent. This hub computes only the schedular percentage and does not determine TDIU eligibility.

What separates the 100% rating from adjacent levels?

The 60% tier uses the same four pulmonary-function measures at less severe thresholds, with no severe-clinical-finding alternative.

What separates the 60% rating from adjacent levels?

The 100% tier requires values below 40 percent (or under 15 ml/kg/min), or one of the five severe clinical findings instead.

What separates the 30% rating from adjacent levels?

The 60% tier requires values in the 40-55 percent range (or 15-20 ml/kg/min exercise capacity) instead.

What separates the 10% rating from adjacent levels?

The 30% tier requires values in the 56-70 percent (or 56-65 percent DLCO) range instead.

Related Conditions

Continue learning through connected topics

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea and trachea/bronchus conditions are both respiratory findings commonly documented together, but each follows its own separate rating schedule.

Section 4.96(a) combination rule

Separate the question of any single diagnosis's severity from the unautomated question of which code predominates when more than one respiratory finding applies at once.

DC 6601/DC 6600 comparison

Separate the question of DC 6601's own severity from the unautomated comparison against DC 6600's pulmonary-function table.

Ready when you are

Compare documented trachea/bronchus findings

Use the diagnosis, pulmonary-function, and treatment-intensity language already documented in your records. Do not upload records or enter Social Security numbers, claim numbers, full dates of birth, or other sensitive identifiers. RatingScope does not infer missing findings.

Informational guidance only. RatingScope does not predict, decide, or guarantee VA outcomes.

Compare my trachea/bronchus records

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External source/reference

VA Respiratory Conditions DBQ

Official VA form, updated 2024-08-27; its fields map closely to all five current diagnoses in this hub.

Open VA Respiratory Conditions DBQ

RatingScope resource

C&P Exam Intelligence

Understand the purpose of a claim exam and the boundary between examination and final VA decision.

Open C&P Exam Intelligence

RatingScope resource

VA Claim Evidence Center

Understand common medical, lay, DBQ, and treatment evidence categories without treating one item as a guaranteed requirement.

Open VA Claim Evidence Center

RatingScope resource

RatingScope Learn Center

Continue understanding published criteria, evidence language, and the VA claim process.

Open RatingScope Learn Center

Secondary conditions

Conditions commonly connected to Trachea and Bronchi

This reflects regulatory and clinical relationships already explained elsewhere on this site. It is not a diagnosis, not a prediction that you have or will develop a connected condition, and not personalized medical or legal advice.

Regulatory relationship

Trachea and Bronchi Sinusitis and Rhinitis

Sinusitis/rhinitis and trachea/bronchus conditions are both respiratory findings rated under 38 CFR 4.97 and sometimes documented together, but each follows its own separate rating schedule.

38 CFR 4.97

View Sinusitis and Rhinitis

Regulatory relationship

Trachea and Bronchi Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea and trachea/bronchus conditions are both respiratory findings rated under 38 CFR 4.97 and commonly documented together, but each follows its own separate rating schedule.

38 CFR 4.97

View Sleep Apnea

Educational Guides & Evidence Resources

In-depth analysis of DBQ forms, medical evidence thresholds, and rating schedules for Trachea and Bronchi.

How VA Rates COPD: DC 6604 Pulmonary Function Criteria

Learn how the VA evaluates Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease under 38 CFR 4.97 (DC 6604) using FEV-1, DLCO, and oxygen therapy requirements.

How VA Rates Asthma: DC 6602 Inhaler and PFT Criteria

Learn how the VA evaluates bronchial asthma under 38 CFR 4.97 (DC 6602) using spirometric pulmonary function tests (FEV-1) and required inhaler therapies.

Pulmonary Function Tests in VA Disability Claims: PFT and Spirometry Guide

Learn how the VA interprets Pulmonary Function Tests (FEV-1, FVC, and DLCO) to assign disability ratings from 10% to 100% under 38 CFR 4.97.

What Is the PACT Act? Presumptive Conditions and Your VA Rating

The PACT Act expanded presumptive service connection for toxic exposures. Learn how presumptions work and how conditions are rated.

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Related Tools

Compare a percentage level and combined-rating math, or review evidence context.

See all tools

VA Math & Combined Ratings

Understand the whole-person method, final rounding, and bilateral limits, then calculate how percentages combine.

Open VA Math guide

Evidence Center

Understand common evidence categories and what they can clarify without treating them as a checklist.

Open Evidence Center