ICD-9-CM 938
CMS Source: final ICD-9-CM release (version date October 1, 2014). Retired from U.S. claims after September 30, 2015.FacebookXLinkedInPrint

938 is a legacy ICD-9-CM diagnosis code for foreign body in digestive system, unspecified. It was valid on U.S. claims through September 30, 2015 and cannot be reported for services on or after October 1, 2015, when ICD-10-CM replaced the ICD-9 code set. Under the CMS General Equivalence Mappings, it maps to 2 ICD-10-CM candidates: T18.8XXA and T18.9XXA.

Code Identity

ICD-9-CM Code
938
Valid for Submission
No — Legacy Code
Code Describes
Foreign body in digestive system, unspecified
Short Description
Foreign body GI NOS
Parent Block
938 Foreign body in digestive system, unspecified
ICD-10-CM Replacement
2 candidates — see Crosswalk

Convert 938 to ICD-10-CM

Based on the final CMS General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs), 938 crosswalks to the following ICD-10-CM codes. When more than one candidate is listed, pick the code the documentation supports.

ICD-10-CM
T18.8XXA Foreign body in other parts of alimentary tract, init encntr
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.
ICD-10-CM
T18.9XXA Foreign body of alimentary tract, part unsp, init encntr
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

Index of Diseases References

Entries in the final ICD-9-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries that point to 938. Tap the icons for the official index conventions.

  • Astrocytoma cystic M9400 3
    • subependymal M9383 1 237.5
  • Ball
    • food 938
    • hair 938
  • Bezoar 938
    • intestine 936
  • Foreign body
    • entering through orifice current old
      • alimentary canal 938
      • digestive organ or tract NEC 938
      • gastrointestinal tract 938
      • swallowed 938
    • ingestion ingested NEC 938
    • swallowed NEC 938
  • Glioma malignant M9380 3
    • astrocytic M9400 3
      • specified site see Neoplasm by site malignant
    • mixed M9382 3
      • specified site see Neoplasm by site malignant
    • specified site NEC see Neoplasm by site malignant
    • subependymal M9383 1 237.5
  • Gliomatosis cerebri M9381 3 191.0
  • Gliosarcoma M9380 3
    • specified site see Neoplasm by site malignant
  • Ingestion
    • foreign body NEC SEE ALSO Foreign body 938
  • Oligoastrocytoma mixed M9382 3
    • specified site see Neoplasm by site malignant
  • Phytobezoar 938
    • intestine 936
  • Subependymoma M9383 1 237.5
  • Swallowed swallowing
    • foreign body NEC SEE ALSO Foreign body 938
  • Trichobezoar 938
    • intestine 936
  • Trichophytobezoar 938
    • intestine 936

Information for Patients

Foreign Bodies

If you've ever gotten a splinter or had sand in your eye, you've had experience with a foreign body. A foreign body is something that is stuck inside you but isn't supposed to be there. You may inhale or swallow a foreign body, or you may get one from an injury to almost any part of your body.

Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Questions About 938

Is 938 (foreign body in digestive system, unspecified) still a valid code?

No. This code belonged to ICD-9-CM, which the United States retired after September 30, 2015. Claims with dates of service on or after October 1, 2015 must use ICD-10-CM codes, such as T18.8XXA and T18.9XXA.

What is the ICD-10 replacement for 938?

The General Equivalence Mappings list 2 ICD-10-CM candidates for this code: T18.8XXA (Foreign body in other parts of alimentary tract, init encntr) and T18.9XXA (Foreign body of alimentary tract, part unsp, init encntr). Each match is approximate, so the right choice depends on what the documentation supports.

What did 938 mean?

In the final ICD-9-CM release, this code described foreign body in digestive system, unspecified. It sat in block 938 Foreign body in digestive system, unspecified under Injury and poisoning (800–999).

Why does 938 map to more than one ICD-10 code?

ICD-10-CM is more specific than ICD-9-CM. The detail packed into this single legacy code was split across T18.8XXA and T18.9XXA, so the General Equivalence Mappings list every candidate rather than forcing one. The correct target is the one the documentation supports.