CP-How to use the ICD codes

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Terminology used in ICD-10 coding

The following terminology is very interesting: NOS or not otherwise specified, and NEC or not elsewhere classified.

  • NOS or not otherwise specified "is generally used to note the presence of an illness where the symptoms presented were sufficient to make a general diagnosis, but where a specific diagnosis was not made." (Wikipedia)
    Therefore this is a GENERAL coding that is possibly INCLUSIVE of other more specified disease categories. It will be interesting to see if the cards match up with this idea.
    • This can be used in cases where you can identify the general disease, but not in very specific detail. For instance, "Bacterial infection, not otherwise specified" or "Bacterial infection, unspecified"
      Are these actually equivalent? Is NOS or not otherwise specified equivalent to Unspecified?
    • It is interesting to note the Uterine fibroid page: the cards for D25.0 (a specific type of uterine fibroid) are mutually exclusive of the cards for D25.9 ("Uterine fibroid, unspecified"). If "unspecified" meant "not otherwise specified", then wouldn't D25.9 possibly include all the cards used in the more specific subcodes (D25.0 to D25.2)?
  • NEC or not elsewhere classified means that this category excludes all other known specific disease codes. Therefore this is a GENERAL coding that is EXCLUSIVE of all other specific known types of that disease. It will be interesting to see if the cards match up with this.


ICD-10 general subcoding practices

The ".8" subcode (eg. L70.8) usually refers to Other or Other specified types of this disease.

The ".9" subcode (eg. L70.9) usually refers to the "General" coding: Unspecified or Not otherwise specified (NOS).

These subcodes do not always exist for every ICD-10 disease category.


Secondary codes

Certain codes specify explicity that they are never to be used in primary coding (such as R65). Similarly, certain ICD-10 disease categories refer to secondary manifestations: secondary effects which result from a primary disease. These primary disease codes are marked with a dagger in the WHO ICD-10 database () (eg. A39.0). Secondary manifestation codes which result from a primary disease code are marked with an asterisk in the WHO ICD-10 database (*) (eg. G01, which relates to A39.0 above). Secondary manifestation codes usually include the text "in diseases classified elsewhere", indicating that they are referring only to additional symptoms caused by another (primary) disease code.

  • No secondary codes have been entered into the wiki, only primary codes (therefore, all dagger symbols have been removed from the ICD-10 categories in this wiki).
  • Is there any reason to use the secondary codes?
  • Is it actually accurate that secondary manifestation codes are caused by the related primary code? If it is possible that they have their own, unique causes, then it could be useful to include them in the wiki database.


Special disease pages

Most disease pages are structured by an ICD-10 category code (a main code). These pages are structured by using a subcode:

This page has no specific (as of yet found) matching ICD-10 category, but cards for it exist. Perhaps it should be created:

  • Cyst, not elsewhere classified
    • Cyst (G/3) [2.4, 2.7, 2.10]
      This refers to "Cyst, not elsewhere classified" (the meaning of the old "G" classification in the original disease list).