K70.11
BillableAlcoholic hepatitis with ascites
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 65 — Chronic Hepatitis
0.472What This Code Means
Inflammation of the liver caused by alcohol consumption with ascites, which is abnormal fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity.
Coding Tips
- •The presence of ascites indicates more advanced liver disease and should be explicitly documented
- •Ascites is a key distinguishing feature from K70.10; ensure documentation clearly states ascites is present
Clinical Significance
Alcoholic hepatitis with ascites represents advanced liver disease with portal hypertension, indicating severe hepatic dysfunction with fluid retention. This condition carries high morbidity and mortality risk, requiring intensive medical management and consideration for liver transplantation evaluation.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Clear documentation of alcoholic hepatitis
- ✓Presence of ascites specifically documented
- ✓Evidence of alcohol as causative factor
- ✓Clinical and laboratory findings of liver dysfunction
- ✓Assessment of ascites volume and characteristics
- ✓Portal hypertension evaluation
- ✓Alcohol use history and current status
- ✓Treatment plan for both hepatitis and fluid management
Commonly Confused Codes
K70.10 — Alcoholic hepatitis without ascites lacks fluid componentK70.31 — Alcoholic cirrhosis with ascites represents scarring vs inflammationR18.8 — Other ascites without hepatitis componentK76.6 — Portal hypertension without specific alcoholic etiologyI87.8 — Other venous complications without liver involvement
Code Hierarchy
└K70Alcoholic liver disease└K70.1Alcoholic hepatitis└K70.11Alcoholic hepatitis with ascites
└K70.11Alcoholic hepatitis with ascites