Retained metal fragments
Non-billable header
Z18.1 is a non-billable header code. Use one of the more specific codes below.
Inclusion terms
Includes (from Z18)
- embedded fragment (status)
- embedded splinter (status)
- retained foreign body status
- Note: Z codes represent reasons for encounters. A corresponding procedure code must accompany a Z code if a procedure is performed. Categories Z00-Z99 are provided for occasions when circumstances other than a disease, injury or external cause classifiable to categories A00-Y89 are recorded as 'diagnoses' or 'problems'. This can arise in two main ways:
- Note: (a) When a person who may or may not be sick encounters the health services for some specific purpose, such as to receive limited care or service for a current condition, to donate an organ or tissue, to receive prophylactic vaccination (immunization), or to discuss a problem which is in itself not a disease or injury.
- Note: (b) When some circumstance or problem is present which influences the person's health status but is not in itself a current illness or injury.
Excludes1
Not coded here — never report together with this code.
- retained radioactive metal fragments (Z18.01-Z18.09)
- artificial joint prosthesis status (Z96.6-) (from Z18)
- foreign body accidentally left during a procedure (T81.5-) (from Z18)
- foreign body entering through orifice (T15-T19) (from Z18)
- in situ cardiac device (Z95.-) (from Z18)
- organ or tissue replaced by means other than transplant (Z96.-, Z97.-) (from Z18)
- organ or tissue replaced by transplant (Z94.-) (from Z18)
- personal history of retained foreign body fully removed Z87.821 (from Z18)
- superficial foreign body (non-embedded splinter) - code to superficial foreign body, by site (from Z18)