ICD-10-CM › S00-T88 › T15-T19 › T18.1 Foreign body in esophagus › T18.11

This code exists but cannot be submitted on its own. It groups the more specific codes beneath it.

A category header for its whole life, FY2016 onwards. It has never been valid for submission on its own.

Submit one of these 2 more specific codes instead:

• T18.110 Gastric contents in esophagus causing compression of trachea (also a header)
• T18.118 Gastric contents in esophagus causing other injury (also a header)

This code requires a seventh character. See the rule below.

What has happened to this code

Official coding rules

Published by CDC for FY2027. A rule attached to a category binds every code beneath it, so the rules inherited from this code's ancestors are shown with the code they come from.

Inherited from T18 Foreign body in alimentary tract

Seventh character required

• The appropriate 7th character is to be added to each code from category T18

Excludes2 - not included here

• foreign body in pharynx (T17.2-)

Inherited from the T15-T19 section Effects of foreign body entering through natural orifice (T15-T19)

Excludes2 - not included here

• foreign body accidentally left in operation wound (T81.5-)
• foreign body in penetrating wound - See open wound by body region
• residual foreign body in soft tissue (M79.5)
• splinter, without open wound - See superficial injury by body region

Use additional code

• code, if known, for foreign body entering into or through a natural orifice (W44.-)

How CDC's index refers to this code

Wording from the official alphabetic index. Much of it appears nowhere in the code description, which is why a search for the everyday phrase so often finds nothing.

• Threat to breathing > aspiration
• Aspiration > food
• Choked, choking > food
• Food in > air passages
• Compression > trachea by > food
• Asphyxia, asphyxiation > by > food
• Food in > alimentary tract causing asphyxia

Codes in the same group

Code	Description	Status
T18.10	Unspecified foreign body in esophagus	Not billable
T18.12	Food in esophagus	Not billable
T18.19	Other foreign object in esophagus	Not billable