T15 vs Z18
T15 (Foreign body on external eye) compared with Z18 (Retained foreign body fragments), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.
Can these codes be reported together?
No — do not report together. Z18 carries an Excludes1 note covering T15: “foreign body entering through orifice (T15-T19)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
Side by side
| T15Foreign body on external eye | Z18Retained foreign body fragments | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header Report instead: T15.00XA, T15.00XD, T15.00XS, T15.01XA, T15.01XD | Non-billable header |
| Classification | S00-T88 — Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes (S00-T88) | Z00-Z99 — Factors Influencing Health Status and Contact with Health Services (Z00-Z99) |
| Definition | Foreign body on external eye is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (T15). | Retained foreign body fragments is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (Z18). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T15 | — |
| Includes | — | embedded fragment (status) embedded splinter (status) retained foreign body status |
| Use additional code | code, if known, for foreign body entering into or through a natural orifice (W44.-) | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources