W26 vs W44.C1XA
W26 (Contact with other sharp objects) compared with W44.C1XA (Sharp glass entering into or through a natural orifice, initial encounter), 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.C1XA carries an Excludes2 note covering W26: “contact with other sharp objects (W26)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Side by side
| W26Contact with other sharp objects | W44.C1XASharp glass entering into or through a natural orifice, initial encounter | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Non-billable header Report instead: W26.0XXA, W26.0XXD, W26.0XXS, W26.1XXA, W26.1XXD | Billable |
| Classification | V00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99) | V00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99) |
| Definition | Contact with other sharp objects is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (W26). | Sharp glass entering into or through a natural orifice, initial encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (W44.C1A). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W26 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W44 |
| Includes | — | Glass shard entering into or through a natural orifice |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources