Alcoholic Cirrhosis ICD-10-CM Codes
Read this short guide and learn about alcoholic cirrhosis ICD codes you can use.
Fact Checked by Ericka Pingol.
What alcoholic cirrhosis ICD codes can I use?
If you’re looking for alcoholic cirrhosis ICD codes, we’d like you to know that there are only two:
- K70.30 - Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver without ascites: This ICD-10 code should be applied to a patient diagnosed with liver cirrhosis brought on by ongoing or excessive alcohol use. This ICD-10 code's case of alcoholic cirrhosis is devoid of ascites, a condition characterized by fluid accumulation in the body's abdominal region. Those who have cirrhosis frequently experience this.
- K70.31 - Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver with ascites: This is the same as Item 1, but the patient has ascites this time.
Are both of these alcoholic cirrhosis ICD codes billable?
Yes. Both of those mentioned above alcoholic cirrhosis-related ICD-10 codes are valid and billable.
Clinical information about alcoholic cirrhosis:
Cirrhosis is one of the latest stages of liver disease. When the liver disease has reached this stage, the person is in danger, so this problem (or the cause of the problem) should be addressed as soon as possible.
A person with cirrhosis has an overabundance of scar tissue in their liver. This is not good because the scar tissues replace most or all of the liver’s healthy tissues. The liver can't perform its functions well if there are not enough healthy tissues in the liver. In the context of this guide, the cause of cirrhosis is alcohol consumption (the constant and excessive kind). Not only is the liver unable to do its job, but it also becomes swollen and stiff.
As this cirrhosis progresses, they will likely experience the following symptoms:
- They might develop hepatic encephalopathy
- Their urine will have a darker tinge
- Their poop will have a lighter color
- There might be digestive difficulties, especially with fatty food
- They might lose significant weight and muscle
- They might have jaundice
- There might be tremors and twitches
It also might progress to liver failure if left unchecked and unmanaged.
Synonyms include:
- Alcoholic cirrhosis
- Chronic alcoholic liver disease
- Drug-induced cirrhosis of the liver
- Esophageal varices associated with another disorder
- Esophageal varices due to cirrhosis of the liver
- Esophageal varices due to cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcohol
- Fibrosis of the liver caused by alcohol
- Ascites due to alcoholic cirrhosis
Commonly asked questions
No. But, there are other ICD codes for drug-related cirrhosis.
Healthcare professionals will conduct blood tests, imaging tests, and liver biopsies.
The damage caused by alcoholic cirrhosis is permanent, so the goal is not to treat it but to manage it. Since constant/excessive alcohol consumption is the source of the problem, the only way to manage this is to remove alcohol from a patient’s life altogether. How that’ll go will depend on the person because they might require rehabilitation or certain medicines to deal with substance use disorder.
