K72.91

Billable

Hepatic failure, unspecified with coma

HCC Category Mapping

V28HCC 63 — End-Stage Liver Disease

0.307

V24HCC 27 — End-Stage Liver Disease

0.910

ESRDHCC 27 — End-Stage Liver Disease

0.000

What This Code Means

Severe liver failure of unknown duration or type where the liver cannot perform its vital functions and the patient has developed hepatic encephalopathy or coma.

Coding Tips

•This is a less specific code; attempt to clarify whether the failure is acute or chronic
•Document the presence and severity of hepatic encephalopathy for accurate coding

Clinical Significance

Unspecified hepatic failure with coma represents the most severe form of liver dysfunction with neurological complications where specific etiology or timeline is unclear. This condition has extremely high mortality requiring immediate intensive care and emergency transplant evaluation.

Documentation Requirements

✓Documentation of hepatic failure
✓Presence of coma or encephalopathy
✓Absence of specific etiology or timeline
✓Neurological assessment findings
✓Laboratory markers of liver failure
✓Intensive care management
✓Emergency transplant evaluation
✓Search for underlying causes

Commonly Confused Codes

K72.90 — Hepatic failure without coma lacks encephalopathy K72.01 — Acute hepatic failure with coma specifies timeline K72.11 — Chronic hepatic failure with coma specifies duration G93.1 — Anoxic brain damage has different etiology R40.20 — Unspecified coma without liver involvement

Code Hierarchy

└K72Hepatic failure, not elsewhere classified └K72.9Hepatic failure, unspecified └K72.91Hepatic failure, unspecified with coma

└K72.91Hepatic failure, unspecified with coma