Foreign body in ear, unspecified ear, initial encounter
Billable / specific
T16.9XXA is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes in FY2027.
Inclusion terms
Includes (from T16)
- foreign body in auditory canal
- Note: Use secondary code(s) from Chapter 20, External causes of morbidity, to indicate cause of injury. Codes within the T section that include the external cause do not require an additional external cause code
- Note: The chapter uses the S-section for coding different types of injuries related to single body regions and the T-section to cover injuries to unspecified body regions as well as poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes.
Excludes2
Not included here — may be reported together when both conditions exist.
- birth trauma (P10-P15) (from T16)
- obstetric trauma (O70-O71) (from T16)
- foreign body accidentally left in operation wound (T81.5-) (from T16)
- foreign body in penetrating wound - See open wound by body region (from T16)
- residual foreign body in soft tissue (M79.5) (from T16)
- splinter, without open wound - See superficial injury by body region (from T16)
Use additional code
Add a code to identify the following, if applicable.
7th character
The 7th character values that apply to this code (defined at T16). Use the placeholder "X" for missing positions.
| Character | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A | initial encounter |
| D | subsequent encounter |
| S | sequela |
Parent code
- T16.9Foreign body in ear, unspecified earNeeds 7th char