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Compare/W25 vs W44

W25 vs W44

W25 (Contact with sharp glass) compared with W44 (Foreign body entering into or through a natural orifice), from the official CMS tabular data. Both may be reported when both conditions are documented (Excludes2).

Can these codes be reported together?

Yes, when both are documented. W44 carries an Excludes2 note covering W25: “contact with sharp glass (W25)”

Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.

Side by side

W25Contact with sharp glassW44Foreign body entering into or through a natural orifice
Billing statusNon-billable header

Report instead: W25.XXXA, W25.XXXD, W25.XXXS

Non-billable header

Report instead: W44.8XXA, W44.8XXD, W44.8XXS, W44.9XXA, W44.9XXD

ClassificationV00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99)V00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99)
DefinitionContact with sharp glass is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (W25).Foreign body entering into or through a natural orifice is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (W44).
7th characterThe appropriate 7th character is to be added to code W25The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W44
Code first
any associated:
injury due to flying glass from explosion or firearm discharge (W32-W40)

Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources