W44.C1XA vs W45
W44.C1XA (Sharp glass entering into or through a natural orifice, initial encounter) compared with W45 (Foreign body or object entering through skin), 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 W45: “foreign body or object entering through skin (W45)”
Excludes2 marks distinct conditions — both may be reported when both are documented.
Side by side
| W44.C1XASharp glass entering into or through a natural orifice, initial encounter | W45Foreign body or object entering through skin | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Non-billable header Report instead: W45.0XXA, W45.0XXD, W45.0XXS, W45.3XXA, W45.3XXD |
| Classification | V00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99) | V00-Y99 — External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99) |
| Definition | Sharp glass entering into or through a natural orifice, initial encounter is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (W44.C1A). | Foreign body or object entering through skin is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (W45). |
| 7th character | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W44 | The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category W45 |
| Includes | Glass shard entering into or through a natural orifice | foreign body or object embedded in skin nail embedded in skin |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources