Button battery entering via natural orifice, sequela

This code describes the long-term or residual effects resulting from a button battery having entered the body through a natural orifice (e.g., mouth, nose, ear, rectum, vagina). These sequelae can include strictures, perforations, fistulas, or chronic inflammation that manifest after the initial acute injury from the battery's ingestion or insertion.

Use this code when documenting conditions that are a direct consequence of a button battery exposure via a natural orifice, and these conditions are presenting for care after the acute phase of the injury has passed. This applies to follow-up visits for complications such as esophageal strictures, tracheal stenosis, or chronic otitis media caused by a retained or previously removed button battery.

• Always sequence the code for the specific sequela (e.g., T18.120A for esophageal stricture) first, followed by this sequela code.
• Ensure documentation clearly links the current condition to a past button battery exposure via a natural orifice.
• This "S" (sequela) seventh character indicates that the current encounter is for the sequela of the original injury, not the initial acute event.