K72.01

Billable

Acute and subacute hepatic failure with coma

HCC Category Mapping

V24HCC 27 — End-Stage Liver Disease

0.910

ESRDHCC 27 — End-Stage Liver Disease

0.000

What This Code Means

Severe liver failure developing rapidly with altered mental status and loss of consciousness, representing the most critical stage of acute liver failure.

Coding Tips

•Document the grade of hepatic encephalopathy if specified (grades I-IV)
•This is a medical emergency; identify the underlying etiology and any complications like coagulopathy or renal failure

Clinical Significance

Acute and subacute hepatic failure with coma represents rapidly progressive liver failure with hepatic encephalopathy, indicating imminent life-threatening complications. This condition requires immediate intensive care management and emergency liver transplant evaluation due to extremely high mortality risk.

Documentation Requirements

✓Documentation of acute or subacute hepatic failure
✓Presence of coma or altered consciousness
✓Evidence of hepatic encephalopathy grade
✓Timeline of symptom progression
✓Laboratory markers of liver failure
✓Neurological assessment findings
✓Intensive care management requirements
✓Emergency transplant listing status

Commonly Confused Codes

K72.00 — Acute hepatic failure without coma lacks encephalopathy K72.11 — Chronic hepatic failure with coma has longer duration K70.41 — Alcoholic hepatic failure has specific alcohol etiology G93.1 — Anoxic brain damage has different cause R40.20 — Unspecified coma without liver failure

Code Hierarchy

└K72Hepatic failure, not elsewhere classified └K72.0Acute and subacute hepatic failure └K72.01Acute and subacute hepatic failure with coma

└K72.01Acute and subacute hepatic failure with coma