Failed attempted abortion complicated by delayed or excessive hemorrhage

This code describes a situation where an attempted abortion procedure was unsuccessful, and the patient subsequently experiences significant or prolonged bleeding. This hemorrhage is a direct complication stemming from the failed termination attempt.

Use this code when documentation clearly indicates a history of an attempted abortion that did not achieve its intended outcome, followed by a complication of delayed or excessive hemorrhage. This typically applies to cases where the pregnancy continues or a significant amount of retained products of conception lead to bleeding after an attempted termination.

• Ensure documentation specifies "failed attempted abortion" and not just an incomplete abortion, as the latter has different coding considerations.
• Always sequence this code as a secondary diagnosis if the patient is admitted for treatment of the hemorrhage.
• Do not confuse with codes for spontaneous abortion with hemorrhage or incomplete abortion without a documented failed attempt.