2025 ICD-10-CM code K72.0
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Diseases of liver - Hepatic failure, not elsewhere classified Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K95) Feed
Acute and subacute hepatic failure.A condition characterized by the rapid deterioration of liver function.
Medical necessity for services related to K72.0 is established by the presence of signs and symptoms of acute or subacute liver failure, impacting the patient's overall health and potentially requiring intensive medical intervention.
Diagnosis and management of acute and subacute hepatic failure falls under the purview of hepatologists, gastroenterologists, and critical care specialists. Responsibilities include identifying the underlying cause, providing supportive care, and determining the need for a liver transplant.
In simple words: This code represents a sudden and severe decline in how the liver works.
Acute and subacute hepatic failure encompasses the rapid deterioration of liver function, including fulminant hepatitis NEC with hepatic failure, liver cell necrosis with hepatic failure, and malignant hepatitis NEC with hepatic failure (yellow liver atrophy or dystrophy).
Example 1: A patient presents with jaundice, encephalopathy, and coagulopathy following an overdose of acetaminophen. The rapid decline in liver function leads to a diagnosis of acute hepatic failure., A patient with a history of autoimmune hepatitis experiences a sudden worsening of liver function, characterized by elevated liver enzymes and signs of hepatic encephalopathy, consistent with subacute hepatic failure., A patient with underlying chronic liver disease due to hepatitis C develops acute hepatic failure triggered by a bacterial infection.
Documentation should include the cause of liver failure, the time course of symptom onset, laboratory findings (liver enzymes, bilirubin, coagulation studies), imaging results, and any complications like hepatic encephalopathy or coagulopathy.
- Specialties:Hepatology, gastroenterology, critical care medicine, internal medicine
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Emergency Room - Hospital