Acute Respiratory Failure as Principal Diagnosis

Acute respiratory failure occurs when fluid builds up in the air sacs in the lungs. During this occurrence, lungs are unable to release oxygen into the blood. In return, the organ cannot get enough oxygen-rich blood to function properly. With a lot of medical scenarios, it is common to see acute respiratory failure listed as a secondary diagnosis; however, there are some cases where this condition can be sequenced as the principal diagnosis. Acute respiratory failure can be coded as the principal diagnosis if it meets the definition and is clinically supported in the medical record. It all boils down to the circumstances of admission, any diagnostic workup and/or therapy provided, and whether there are any coding conventions or guidelines that give direction to code otherwise.