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D62

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🧬ICD-10 CM D62 - Acute Posthemorrhagic Anemia (Acute Blood Loss Anemia)

Short Description

D62: Use for acute posthemorrhagic anemia (acute blood loss anemia) when the provider documents anemia due to recent, significant blood loss (e.g., GI bleed, trauma, surgery/procedure hemorrhage) resulting in an acute drop in hemoglobin/hematocrit and clinical anemia requiring treatment or monitoring. This is NOT the same as chronic blood loss anemia/iron deficiency anemia.

Full Description & Clinical Context

D62 - Acute posthemorrhagic anemia describes anemia caused by sudden blood loss, leading to reduced circulating red cell mass and acute anemia. Common contexts include trauma, acute GI bleeding, postpartum hemorrhage, or perioperative bleeding with clinical significance.

Clinical features that often support the diagnosis (supportive, not diagnostic by themselves):

  • Acute drop in Hgb/Hct compared with baseline.
  • Hemodynamic effects (tachycardia, hypotension), symptoms (weakness, dizziness), or evidence of active bleeding.
  • Treatment such as transfusion, iron therapy (less common acutely), IV fluids, endoscopic hemostasis, or surgical control of bleeding.

Note

Important coding concept: a low hemoglobin, an estimated blood loss (EBL), or a transfusion alone does not automatically establish D62; the provider must document acute blood loss anemia/posthemorrhagic anemia or clearly link the anemia to acute hemorrhage.

Code Details

  • Code set: ICD-10-CM
  • Full code: D62
  • Title: Acute posthemorrhagic anemia
  • Code type: Billable/specific diagnosis code
  • Common synonym: Acute blood loss anemia

Excludes1 (key):

  • Anemia due to chronic blood loss / blood loss anemia NOS → D50.0
  • Congenital anemia from fetal blood loss → P61.3

Interpretation:

  • If documentation indicates chronic blood loss anemia (iron deficiency due to chronic bleeding), do not code D62—use D50.0 instead.

Acute vs Chronic Blood Loss (D62 vs D50.0)

CodeDescriptionTime courseTypical documentationNotes
D62Acute posthemorrhagic anemiaAcute/sudden“Acute blood loss anemia,” “acute posthemorrhagic anemia,” “anemia due to acute GI bleed/trauma”Requires provider linkage to acute hemorrhage[web:245][web:255]
D50.0Iron deficiency anemia secondary to blood loss (chronic)Chronic“Chronic blood loss anemia,” “iron deficiency anemia due to menorrhagia/GI bleed,” “microcytic anemia from chronic bleeding”Excludes1 from D62[web:243][web:246]

Note

Acute on chronic blood loss anemia: ICD-10-CM classifies acute blood loss anemia to D62 and chronic blood loss anemia to D50.0; Coding Clinic guidance addresses scenarios described as “acute on chronic blood loss anemia.

When to Use D62

Use D62 when documentation shows:

  1. Provider diagnosis:

    • “Acute blood loss anemia” OR
    • “Acute posthemorrhagic anemia” OR
    • “Anemia due to acute hemorrhage/bleeding” (explicit linkage)

  2. Bleeding source/event is acute:

    • GI bleeding (melena, hematemesis), trauma, surgery/procedure hemorrhage, postpartum hemorrhage, etc.

  3. Clinical significance:

    • Monitoring and/or treatment is provided (transfusion, serial CBCs, hemostasis, etc.).

Great supporting documentation (auditor-friendly):

  • Baseline Hgb and trend.
  • Evidence of acute bleed.
  • Hemodynamic status.
  • Treatment (units transfused, intervention controlling bleed).

When NOT to Use D62

Do NOT use D62 when:

  • Documentation states chronic blood loss/iron deficiency anemia → D50.0.
  • Documentation only says “anemia” or “post-op anemia” without stating acute blood loss anemia/posthemorrhagic anemia (query if appropriate).
  • Anemia is due to chronic disease/CKD/neoplasm, etc. (use the more specific anemia type).

Documentation Requirements (CDI-Focused)

Minimum documentation for D62 (best practice):

✅ Must capture:

  • Diagnosis phrase: “acute blood loss anemia” or “acute posthemorrhagic anemia.”
  • Acute bleeding source/event (GI bleed, trauma, surgical hemorrhage, etc.).
  • Clinical relevance (monitoring/treatment).

✅ Helpful details:

  • Hgb/Hct trend and timing.
  • Ongoing bleeding vs controlled.
  • Transfusion details (if given): units PRBCs, thresholds.
  • Procedures to control bleeding (endoscopy, surgery).

Note

Query triggers:

  • Significant post-op Hgb drop, documented bleeding/EBL, transfusion given, but no diagnosis beyond “anemia.”

HCC Information

  • D62 does not map to a CMS-HCC in common CMS-HCC risk models (acute anemia typically is not an HCC).
  • Any risk adjustment impact usually comes from underlying chronic conditions (e.g., malignancy, CKD, CHF), not from D62 itself.

RVU / wRVU Information

  • ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes (including D62) do not have wRVU/RVU values. RVUs apply to CPT/HCPCS codes.
  • D62 supports medical necessity and complexity for procedures and E/M, but does not itself generate RVUs.

Common Associated ICD-10-CM Codes (Examples)

Add codes for the bleeding source and relevant related conditions, as documented:

GI bleeding (examples):

  • K92.2 Gastrointestinal hemorrhage, unspecified
  • K25.0 Acute gastric ulcer with hemorrhage
  • K26.0 Acute duodenal ulcer with hemorrhage

Trauma/hemorrhage contexts:

  • S00-T88 injury codes + external cause codes
  • R58 Hemorrhage, not elsewhere classified (if used/documented)

Postprocedural hemorrhage (examples):

  • T81.0- Hemorrhage and hematoma complicating a procedure (verify 7th characters/encounter)

Obstetric hemorrhage (examples):

  • O72.- Postpartum hemorrhage

(Select the most specific codes based on documentation.)

Common CPT/HCPCS Pairings (Examples)

These vary by setting and cause; choose based on what was actually performed.

Evaluation/management:

  • 99221-99223 Initial hospital care (or current inpatient E/M equivalents)
  • 99231-99233 Subsequent hospital care
  • 99291-99292 Critical care (if criteria met)

Transfusion-related (examples):

  • 36430 Transfusion, blood or blood components

GI bleeding evaluation/treatment (examples):

  • 43235 EGD diagnostic
  • 43255 EGD with control of bleeding
  • 45378 Colonoscopy diagnostic
  • 45382 Colonoscopy with control of bleeding

Labs often used:

  • 85025 CBC with differential

(Confirm current CPT coding rules, bundling, and facility policies.)

Clinical Examples

✅ Example 1 - Acute GI Bleed With Acute Blood Loss Anemia

Provider documents: “Upper GI bleed with acute blood loss anemia; Hgb dropped from 12.5 to 7.6; transfuse 2 units PRBC; EGD planned for hemostasis.”

  • Code D62 + code the GI bleed source (e.g., ulcer with hemorrhage) and any procedures.

❌ Example 2 - Post-Op Hgb Drop Without Diagnosis

Documentation: “Post-op anemia; EBL 400 mL; Hgb 10.2 → 8.9; monitor.”

  • Do not automatically code D62 unless provider documents “acute blood loss anemia/posthemorrhagic anemia” or links anemia to acute bleeding; query if clinically supported.

✅ Example 3 - Trauma With Acute Posthemorrhagic Anemia

“MVC with splenic laceration and acute posthemorrhagic anemia; hypotension; transfused.”

  • Code D62 + injury codes + hemorrhage/bleeding source codes.

Quick Coding Checklist

  • Provider documents acute blood loss anemia / acute posthemorrhagic anemia.
  • Acute bleeding source/event documented (GI bleed, trauma, surgery hemorrhage, postpartum, etc.).
  • Not chronic blood loss/iron deficiency anemia (D50.0).
  • Clinical significance: monitoring/treatment documented.
  • Add codes for bleeding source and related conditions.

Quick Reference Card

ICD-10-CM D62 - Acute Posthemorrhagic Anemia (Acute Blood Loss Anemia)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
USE WHEN:
• Provider documents “acute blood loss anemia” or “acute posthemorrhagic anemia”
• Anemia is linked to a RECENT/SUDDEN hemorrhage (GI bleed, trauma, surgery, postpartum)
• Clinically significant (monitoring/treatment such as serial CBCs, transfusion, hemostasis)
 
DON'T USE WHEN:
• Chronic blood loss / iron deficiency due to chronic bleeding → D50.0 (Excludes1)
• Only “anemia” or “post-op anemia” documented without acute blood loss linkage (query)
 
NOT HCC:
• No direct CMS-HCC mapping
 
RVU NOTE:
• Diagnosis codes do not have wRVUs; RVUs come from CPT/HCPCS
 
BOTTOM LINE:
D62 requires provider documentation of ACUTE blood loss anemia/posthemorrhagic anemia.
Low Hgb, EBL, or transfusion alone does not automatically justify D62.

Last Updated: February 9, 2026
For coding reference only - verify against the current ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines and facility/payer policy.
Key concept: D62 = acute blood loss anemia; it excludes chronic blood loss anemia (D50.0) and requires provider linkage to an acute hemorrhage event.

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