T17.8 Foreign body in other parts of respiratory tract

ICD-10-CM Code T17.8: Foreign Body in Other Parts of Respiratory Tract

ICD-10-CM code T17.8 designates a diagnosis of a foreign body located in other parts of the respiratory tract. It is categorized under injuries, poisoning, and certain other consequences of external causes. The provided sources establish this code's structural hierarchy and semantic classification, while also detailing the clinical challenges of airway foreign bodies, such as hypoxemia risks during extraction. 3 4 2

Plain-language overview

Code T17.8 represents the clinical finding of a foreign body in other parts of the respiratory tract, classifying this condition as an injury or poisoning event within the medical coding system. 3

What this code represents

Code T17.8 belongs to Chapter 19, covering injury, poisoning, and certain other consequences of external causes, specifically falling under the T15-T19 range for effects of foreign bodies entering through natural orifices. 4

Coding details

The T17.8 code serves as a subcategory for foreign bodies in other parts of the respiratory tract, which includes the more specific child code T17.80 for unspecified foreign bodies in these anatomical areas. 4

The unspecified child code T17.80 carries no listed code first instructions, no use additional code instructions, and no inclusion terms in the referenced April 2026 reference data. 4

Clinical context

Clinical challenges during the removal of an aspirated foreign body include maintaining a patent airway, managing anesthesia, and addressing a high risk of hypoxemia due to the surgeon and anesthesiologist sharing the same field of work. 2

Complications from foreign body extraction can include tracheal rupture, which necessitates placing an endotracheal tube distally to the disruption to avoid the risk of rapid pneumothorax and death. 2

Documentation considerations

Clinical documentation for aspirated foreign bodies may note the necessity of extractions in centers with appropriate equipment and trained personnel, alongside the use of rigid bronchoscopy for airway management. 2

What the sources add

While the semantic reference defines T17.8 as a respiratory tract finding, the clinical literature describes the extraction of aspirated foreign bodies as a shared airway procedure carrying risks of hypoxemia and postoperative respiratory problems. 3 2

The coding reference details the hierarchical placement of T17.8 within the T15-T19 range for foreign bodies entering through natural orifices, whereas the clinical source specifically addresses the anesthetic management of aspirated foreign bodies in children. 4 2

Sources

1. Bookshelf — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
2. FOREIGN BODY ASPIRATION AND INGESTION IN CHILDREN — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
3. EVS Explore — evsexplore.semantics.cancer.gov; accessed 2026-07-25.
4. ICD-10-CM Code T17.80 | Vero — veroscribe.com; accessed 2026-07-25.