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2025 ICD-10-CM code J96.21

Acute and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia.

It is essential to distinguish between acute, chronic, and acute on chronic conditions when coding respiratory failure.

Medical necessity for treatment is established by the documented presence of respiratory compromise and low blood oxygen.

Physicians diagnose and manage respiratory failure by assessing oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, identifying underlying causes, and providing appropriate treatment.

In simple words: This condition means the lungs are having trouble getting enough oxygen into the blood, and this problem is both recent and long-term.

Acute and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia is a condition characterized by the simultaneous presence of both acute and chronic respiratory failure, accompanied by low blood oxygen levels.

Example 1: A patient with COPD experiences a sudden worsening of symptoms, including shortness of breath and low oxygen saturation, representing acute on chronic respiratory failure., A patient with cystic fibrosis develops pneumonia, leading to both acute and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia., A patient with long-term neuromuscular disease experiences difficulty breathing and low oxygen levels requiring ventilatory support.

Documentation must specify both acute and chronic respiratory failure, the presence of hypoxia, and any underlying conditions contributing to the respiratory failure.

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