K72 — Hepatic failure, not elsewhere classified
Is K72 billable?
No — K72 is a non-billable header code. K72 groups more specific codes and cannot be submitted on a claim. A valid ICD-10-CM code must be reported at the highest level of specificity available in its branch. Select one of the 6 billable codes beneath K72.
Billable codes under this header
K72 at a glance
| Code | K72 |
|---|---|
| Description | Hepatic failure, not elsewhere classified |
| Billable | No — header code |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Excludes1 — never code together
The conditions below can never be reported together with K72 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
Use additional code
Report an additional code alongside K72 to fully describe the condition. K72 is sequenced first.
- code, if applicable, for ascites (R18.8)
Excludes2 — not included here
The conditions below are not part of K72, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, K72 and the excluded code may both be reported.
Includes
Conditions classified to K72.
- fulminant hepatitis NEC, with hepatic failure
- liver (cell) necrosis with hepatic failure
- malignant hepatitis NEC, with hepatic failure
- yellow liver atrophy or dystrophy
Excludes1 — never code together — inherited from K70-K77
The conditions below can never be reported together with K72 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- jaundice NOS (R17)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 11
The conditions below are not part of K72, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, K72 and the excluded code may both be reported.
- certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
- certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
- complications of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O9A)
- congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99)
- endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E88)
- injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T88)
- neoplasms (C00-D49)
- symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R94)
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from K70-K77
The conditions below are not part of K72, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, K72 and the excluded code may both be reported.
What codes fall under K72? (3)
How long has K72 existed?
K72 has been in ICD-10-CM since at least FY2016, the earliest fiscal year on record here.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.
Which codes are confused with K72?
ICD-10-CM declares these codes mutually exclusive with K72 — exactly one of each pair can be correct for a given encounter.