Hemopericardium, not elsewhere classified

This code represents the presence of blood within the pericardial sac, the fluid-filled membrane surrounding the heart, when the underlying cause is not specified elsewhere. This accumulation of blood can lead to cardiac tamponade, a life-threatening condition where the heart's ability to pump blood is compromised.

Use this code when documentation indicates hemopericardium without a clear, separately classified etiology. This often occurs in cases of trauma, iatrogenic injury, or spontaneous bleeding where the specific cause is not yet determined or is not a direct complication of an acute myocardial infarction or malignancy.

• Always review the medical record for the underlying cause of the hemopericardium; if a specific cause is identified and has its own code, that code may be primary or co-coded.
• Be mindful of the Excludes1 notes, particularly differentiating from hemopericardium due to acute myocardial infarction (I23.0) and malignant pericardial effusion (I31.31).
• If cardiac tamponade is also documented, code it separately as I31.4 (Cardiac tamponade).