2022 ICD-10-CM Code K70.40
Alcoholic hepatic failure without coma
Valid for Submission
| ICD-10: | K70.40 |
| Short Description: | Alcoholic hepatic failure without coma |
| Long Description: | Alcoholic hepatic failure without coma |
Code Classification
K70.40 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of alcoholic hepatic failure without coma. The code K70.40 is valid during the fiscal year 2022 from October 01, 2021 through September 30, 2022 for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions.
The ICD-10-CM code K70.40 might also be used to specify conditions or terms like alcoholic hepatic failure.
The code K70.40 is applicable to adult patients aged 15 through 124 years inclusive. It is clinically and virtually impossible to use this code on a patient outside the stated age range.
Index to Diseases and Injuries
The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10 code(s). The following references for the code K70.40 are found in the index:
- - Disease, diseased - See Also: Syndrome;
- - liver (chronic) (organic) - K76.9
- - alcoholic (chronic) - K70.9
- - failure - K70.40
- - alcoholic (chronic) - K70.9
- - liver (chronic) (organic) - K76.9
- - Failure, failed
- - hepatic - K72.90
- - alcoholic (acute) (chronic) (subacute) - K70.40
- - hepatic - K72.90
Code Edits
The Medicare Code Editor (MCE) detects and reports errors in the coding of claims data. The following ICD-10 Code Edits are applicable to this code:
- Adult diagnoses - The Medicare Code Editor detects inconsistencies in adult cases by checking a patient's age and any diagnosis on the patient's record. The adult code edits apply to patients age range is 15–124 years inclusive (e.g., senile delirium, mature cataract).
Approximate Synonyms
The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code:
- Alcoholic hepatic failure
Diagnostic Related Groups - MS-DRG Mapping
The ICD-10 code K70.40 is grouped in the following groups for version MS-DRG V39.0 What are Diagnostic Related Groups?
The Diagnostic Related Groups (DRGs) are a patient classification scheme which provides a means of relating the type of patients a hospital treats. The DRGs divides all possible principal diagnoses into mutually exclusive principal diagnosis areas referred to as Major Diagnostic Categories (MDC). applicable from 10/01/2021 through 09/30/2022.
| MS-DRG | MS-DRG Title | MCD | Relative Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 432 | CIRRHOSIS AND ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS WITH MCC | 07 | 1.8821 |
| 433 | CIRRHOSIS AND ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS WITH CC | 07 | 1.0285 |
| 434 | CIRRHOSIS AND ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS WITHOUT CC/MCC | 07 | 0.6196 |
The relative weight of a diagnostic related group determines the reimbursement rate based on the severity of a patient's illness and the associated cost of care during hospitalization.
Convert K70.40 to ICD-9 Code
The General Equivalency Mapping (GEM) crosswalk indicates an approximate mapping between the ICD-10 code K70.40 its ICD-9 equivalent. The approximate mapping means there is not an exact match between the ICD-10 code and the ICD-9 code and the mapped code is not a precise representation of the original code.
- 571.3 - Alcohol liver damage NOS (Approximate Flag)
Information for Patients
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
What is alcohol use disorder (AUD)?
For most adults, moderate alcohol use is probably not harmful. However, about 18 million adult Americans have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). This means that their drinking causes distress and harm. AUD can range from mild to severe, depending on the symptoms. Severe AUD is sometimes called alcoholism or alcohol dependence.
AUD is a disease that causes
- Craving - a strong need to drink
- Loss of control - not being able to stop drinking once you've started
- Negative emotional state - feeling anxious and irritable when you are not drinking
What is binge drinking?
Binge drinking is drinking so much at once that your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level is 0.08% or more. For a man, this usually happens after having 5 or more drinks within a few hours. For a woman, it is after about 4 or more drinks within a few hours. Not everyone who binge drinks has an AUD, but they are at higher risk for getting one.
What are the dangers of too much alcohol?
Too much alcohol is dangerous. Heavy drinking can increase the risk of certain cancers. It may lead to liver diseases, such as fatty liver disease and cirrhosis. It can also cause damage to the brain and other organs. Drinking during pregnancy can harm your baby. Alcohol also increases the risk of death from car crashes, injuries, homicide, and suicide.
How do I know if I have an alcohol use disorder (AUD)?
You may have an AUD if you can answer yes to two or more of these questions:
In the past year, have you
- Ended up drinking more or for a longer time than you had planned to?
- Wanted to cut down or stop drinking, or tried to, but couldn't?
- Spent a lot of your time drinking or recovering from drinking?
- Felt a strong need to drink?
- Found that drinking - or being sick from drinking - often interfered with your family life, job, or school?
- Kept drinking even though it was causing trouble with your family or friends?
- Given up or cut back on activities that you enjoyed just so you could drink?
- Gotten into dangerous situations while drinking or after drinking? Some examples are driving drunk and having unsafe sex.
- Kept drinking even though it was making you feel depressed or anxious? Or when it was adding to another health problem?
- Had to drink more and more to feel the effects of the alcohol?
- Had withdrawal symptoms when the alcohol was wearing off? They include trouble sleeping, shakiness, irritability, anxiety, depression, restlessness, nausea, and sweating. In severe cases, you could have a fever, seizures, or hallucinations.
If you have any of these symptoms, your drinking may already be a cause for concern. The more symptoms you have, the more serious the problem is.
What should I do if I think that I might have an alcohol use disorder (AUD)?
If you think you might have an AUD, see your health care provider for an evaluation. Your provider can help make a treatment plan, prescribe medicines, and if needed, give you treatment referrals.
NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
[Learn More in MedlinePlus]
Liver Diseases
Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It helps your body digest food, store energy, and remove poisons.
There are many kinds of liver diseases:
- Diseases caused by viruses, such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C
- Diseases caused by drugs, poisons, or too much alcohol. Examples include fatty liver disease and cirrhosis.
- Liver cancer
- Inherited diseases, such as hemochromatosis and Wilson disease
Symptoms of liver disease can vary, but they often include swelling of the abdomen and legs, bruising easily, changes in the color of your stool and urine, and jaundice, or yellowing of the skin and eyes. Sometimes there are no symptoms. Tests such as imaging tests and liver function tests can check for liver damage and help to diagnose liver diseases.
[Learn More in MedlinePlus]
Code History
- FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
- FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
- FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
- FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
- FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
- FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016 (First year ICD-10-CM implemented into the HIPAA code set)