I71.30

Billable

Abdominal aortic aneurysm, ruptured, unspecified

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 264 — Vascular Disease with Complications

0.356

V24HCC 107 — Vascular Disease with Complications

0.450

ESRDHCC 107 — Vascular Disease with Complications

0.000

What This Code Means

A ruptured weakened, bulging area in the abdominal aorta (the main artery in the abdomen) where the specific location is not specified.

Coding Tips

•This is an unspecified code; use more specific codes (I71.31, I71.32, I71.33) when the exact location is documented
•Ruptured AAA is a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate documentation of location if available

Clinical Significance

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (unspecified) is a catastrophic vascular emergency with mortality rates of 80-90% overall, including prehospital deaths. Even with emergent surgical repair, operative mortality remains 40-50%. This condition causes massive retroperitoneal or intraperitoneal hemorrhage and hemodynamic collapse. Survivors face prolonged intensive care stays and significant postoperative complications, making this among the highest-acuity vascular diagnoses for risk adjustment.

Documentation Requirements

✓Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm documented — anatomical location: unspecified
✓Rupture confirmed by imaging (CT showing retroperitoneal hemorrhage, free fluid) or intraoperative findings
✓Aneurysm size at time of rupture documented
✓Hemodynamic status at presentation (hypotension, shock, resuscitation requirements)
✓Relationship to renal arteries documented (infrarenal, juxtarenal, pararenal, suprarenal) — critical for surgical planning and code specificity
✓Surgical intervention type (open repair vs. endovascular aortic repair) and findings
✓Postoperative complications documented (acute kidney injury, bowel ischemia, abdominal compartment syndrome)

Commonly Confused Codes

I71.40-I71.41 — Abdominal aortic aneurysm WITHOUT rupture (non-ruptured — dramatically different acuity and HCC mapping)I71.10-I71.13 — Thoracic aortic aneurysm, ruptured (different anatomical location — thoracic vs. abdominal)I71.02 — Dissection of abdominal aorta (dissection is intimal tear, not aneurysm rupture — different pathology)I71.5/I71.6 — Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm codes (use these when the aneurysm extends across both thoracic and abdominal segments)

Code Hierarchy

└I71Aortic aneurysm and dissection └I71.3Abdominal aortic aneurysm, ruptured └I71.30Abdominal aortic aneurysm, ruptured, unspecified

└I71.30Abdominal aortic aneurysm, ruptured, unspecified