Specific code 2015 ICD-9-CM Diagnosis Code 388.9
Unspecified disorder of ear
  • 2015
  • Billable Thru Sept 30/2015
  • Non-Billable On/After Oct 1/2015

  • ICD-9-CM 388.9 is a billable medical code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis on a reimbursement claim, however, 388.9 should only be used for claims with a date of service on or before September 30, 2015. For claims with a date of service on or after October 1, 2015, use an equivalent ICD-10-CM code (or codes).
Convert to ICD-10-CM: 388.9 converts approximately to:
  • 2015/16 ICD-10-CM H93.93 Unspecified disorder of ear, bilateral
Approximate Synonyms
  • Bilat ear disorder
  • Bilateral ear disorder
  • Both sides ear disorder
  • Disorder of ear
  • Ear disorder
  • Left ear disorder
  • Right ear disorder
Clinical Information
  • Disorders of the external, middle, or inner ear. Use hearing disorders for pathology involving auditory neural pathways beyond the inner ear
  • Impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning in the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
  • Pathological processes of the ear, the hearing, and the equilibrium system of the body
  • Your ear has three main parts: outer, middle and inner. You use all of them in hearing. Sound waves come in through your outer ear. They reach your middle ear, where they make your eardrum vibrate. The vibrations are transmitted through three tiny bones, called ossicles, in your middle ear. The vibrations travel to your inner ear, a snail-shaped organ. The inner ear makes the nerve impulses that are sent to the brain. Your brain recognizes them as sounds. The inner ear also controls balance.a variety of conditions may affect your hearing or balance:
    • ear infections are the most common illness in infants and young children.
    • tinnitus, a roaring in your ears, can be the result of loud noises, medicines or a variety of other causes.
    • meniere's disease may be the result of fluid problems in your inner ear; its symptoms include tinnitus and dizziness.
    • ear barotrauma is an injury to your ear because of changes in barometric (air) or water pressure.
    some ear disorders can result in hearing disorders and deafness
ICD-9-CM Volume 2 Index entries containing back-references to 388.9:
  • Atrophy, atrophic
    • ear 388.9
  • Disease, diseased - see also Syndrome
    • ear (chronic) (inner) NEC 388.9
  • Disorder - see also Disease
  • Otopathy 388.9
ICD-9-CM codes are used in medical billing and coding to describe diseases, injuries, symptoms and conditions. ICD-9-CM 388.9 is one of thousands of ICD-9-CM codes used in healthcare. Although ICD-9-CM and CPT codes are largely numeric, they differ in that CPT codes describe medical procedures and services. Can't find a code? Start at the root of ICD-9-CM, check the 2015 ICD-9-CM Index or use the search engine at the top of this page to lookup any code.