Effects of foreign body entering through natural orifice (T15-T19) ICD-10-CM
The T15–T19 section covers effects of foreign body entering through natural orifice with 392 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes, of which 261 are billable in fiscal year 2026. The section is organized into the 5 code ranges listed below.
Use Additional Code
The “use additional code” indicates that a secondary code could be used to further specify the patient’s condition. This note is not mandatory and is only used if enough information is available to assign an additional code.
- code, if known, for foreign body entering into or through a natural orifice W44
Type 2 Excludes
A type 2 excludes note represents "Not included here". An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.
Code Ranges in This Section 5 ranges · 392 codes
| Code Range | Title | Codes | Billable |
|---|---|---|---|
| T15 | Foreign body on external eye (T15) | 53 | 36 |
| T16 | Foreign body in ear (T16) | 13 | 9 |
| T17 | Foreign body in respiratory tract (T17) | 231 | 150 |
| T18 | Foreign body in alimentary tract (T18) | 66 | 45 |
| T19 | Foreign body in genitourinary tract (T19) | 29 | 21 |
The info icon previews the code ranges inside each row and its instructional notations from the official Tabular List.
About the T15–T19 Code Range
ICD-10 codes T15-T19 classify conditions caused by foreign bodies entering natural body openings such as the eyes, ears, respiratory tract, alimentary canal, and genitourinary tract. These codes specify the location, side (left or right), and clinical status such as initial encounter, subsequent care, or complications arising from the injury.
This range covers a broad spectrum of foreign body incidents: T15 codes address foreign objects on or in the eye, including specific areas like the cornea and conjunctival sac, with synonyms like corneal rust ring or splinter in cornea. T16 pertains to foreign bodies in the ear. Codes T17 cover foreign objects in the respiratory tract, including nasal sinuses, larynx, trachea, and bronchus, with examples such as choking on food, mucus plugs, or aspiration of gastric contents. The T18 series relates to foreign bodies in the alimentary tract, identifying locations from the mouth to rectum and recognizing bezoars or lodged food items like chicken bones. Lastly, T19 codes focus on foreign bodies in the genitourinary system, specifying sites such as urethra, bladder, and vagina, with synonyms including tampons or splinters. This detailed coding allows precise documentation for medical treatment, reporting, and injury tracking related to foreign body effects entering natural orifices.
Questions About This Page
How many codes are in the T15-T19 range?
The T15-T19 range contains 392 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes in FY 2026. 261 of them are billable, and the rest are category headers that organize the section.
What conditions does T15-T19 cover?
The range covers effects of foreign body entering through natural orifice. The code ranges listed above break it into groups of related conditions, and each one links to its own page with the full code list.
Related References
Source: CMS FY 2026 ICD-10-CM Tabular List and order file, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
