H61.22 Impacted cerumen, left ear

Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2026.

Applies from H61.2 Impacted cerumen

Applicable to

• Wax in ear

MS-DRG index

Defines the logic of DRG(s) 154-156 in MDC 03.

Approximate ICD-9-CM (GEMs)

• 380.4 Impacted cerumen (approximate)

Medicare Code Edits (MCE v43.1 (April 2026))

• Questionable admission: Some diagnoses are not usually sufficient justification for admission to an acute care hospital when reported as principal diagnosis.

Code annotations containing back-references to H61.22

Back-references to H61.2

• Type 1 Excludes: H91 Other and unspecified hearing loss ("impacted cerumen (H61.2-)")

Diagnosis Index entries for H61.22

• Ear › wax (impacted) › left

Nearby codes

• H61.193 Noninfective disorders of pinna, bilateral
• H61.199 Noninfective disorders of pinna, unspecified ear
• H61.2 Impacted cerumen
• H61.20 Impacted cerumen, unspecified ear
• H61.21 Impacted cerumen, right ear
• H61.22 Impacted cerumen, left ear (this code)
• H61.23 Impacted cerumen, bilateral
• H61.3 Acquired stenosis of external ear canal
• H61.30 Acquired stenosis of external ear canal, unspecified
• H61.301 Acquired stenosis of right external ear canal, unspecified
• H61.302 Acquired stenosis of left external ear canal, unspecified