T18 (Foreign body in alimentary tract) compared with Z03.822 (Encounter for observation for suspected aspirated (inhaled) foreign body ruled out), from the official CMS tabular data. Both may be reported when both conditions are documented (Excludes2).
Distinct conditions — both may be reported.
“foreign body in alimentary tract (T18)”
An Excludes2 note means the excluded condition is not part of the code above it, but a patient can have both. Report both when both are documented.
Source: CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes
Yes, when both are documented. Z03.822 carries an Excludes2 note covering T18: “foreign body in alimentary tract (T18)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
| T18Foreign body in alimentary tract | Z03.822Encounter for observation for suspected aspirated (inhaled) foreign body ruled out | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header Report instead: T18.0XXA, T18.0XXD, T18.0XXS, T18.100A, T18.100D | Billable |
| 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 in alimentary tract is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (T18). | Encounter for observation for suspected aspirated (inhaled) foreign body ruled out is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (Z03.822). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T18 | — |
| 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