Pinpoint the Difference Between Pulmonary Hypertension and Heart Failure
Question: Is pulmonary hypertension considered a type of heart failure? Florida Subscriber Answer: No, pulmonary hypertension is not a type of heart failure. Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure in the lungs that affects the arteries of the lungs and the right side of the heart. Due to this high blood pressure, the heart has to work harder to pump blood through the lungs. Patients with pulmonary hypertension may experience fatigue, fainting, chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, fast pulse, heart palpitations, bluing of the lips and/or skin, and edema (swelling). Pulmonary hypertension can lead to right-sided heart failure, but it’s not heart failure itself. You will use codes under the I27.- (Other pulmonary heart diseases) category, like I27.0 (Primary pulmonary hypertension), to report pulmonary hypertension diagnoses. On the other hand, heart failure codes are listed in the I50.- (Heart failure) code category. Mike Shaughnessy, BA, CPC, Production Editor, AAPC
