Acute and subacute hepatic failure with coma

This code signifies a severe and rapid deterioration of liver function, occurring either acutely (within days to weeks) or subacutely (within weeks to months), that results in encephalopathy and coma. It indicates the most severe manifestation of hepatic failure where the liver is unable to perform its essential metabolic and synthetic functions, leading to systemic complications.

Use this code when documentation clearly indicates acute or subacute hepatic failure accompanied by a comatose state. This typically involves a patient presenting with altered mental status, significant coagulopathy, and elevated liver enzymes, with the physician explicitly stating "hepatic coma" or "coma due to liver failure."

• Always ensure the documentation specifies "coma" in addition to acute or subacute hepatic failure; without coma, a different subcategory of K72.0 would be more appropriate.
• Investigate the underlying cause of the hepatic failure (e.g., viral hepatitis, drug-induced liver injury) and code it as an additional diagnosis.
• Do not confuse with chronic hepatic failure (K72.1) or hepatic encephalopathy without coma (K72.00).