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Z18.31

Billable

Retained animal quills or spines

This code does not map to an HCC category in any model (V28, V24, ESRD, RxHCC).

What This Code Means

A condition where animal quills or spines (such as from porcupines or sea urchins) remain embedded in the body.

Coding Tips

  • •Often associated with wildlife encounters or occupational exposures
  • •Document the type of animal if known to provide clinical context

Code Hierarchy

└Z18Retained foreign body fragments└Z18.3Retained organic fragments└Z18.31Retained animal quills or spines
└Z18.31Retained animal quills or spines

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