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. 2019 Feb 14;14(2):e0212291. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212291

Table 2. Examples of problems encountered with code sets.

Code set Example potential problems Reason for problem
Fragility fracture Included: S22..00 Fracture of humerus The included and omitted codes are contradictory. This leads to additional, unnecessary, inclusion and exclusion terms.
S222000 Closed fracture of humerus NOS
Omitted: S22z.00 Fracture of humerus NOS
Potential hospitalized infections Included: A53..00 Herpes zoster The included and omitted codes are contradictory. This leads to additional, unnecessary, inclusion and exclusion terms.
F501611 Herpes zoster—otitis externa
A35..00 Erysipelas
Omitted: F501411 Erysipelas—otitis externa
Included: AB…00 Mycoses (and all descendant codes)
Omitted:
FyuN500 Otitis externa in mycoses
Hyu0E00 Pneumonia in mycoses classified elsewhere
N016.00 Arthropathy associated with mycoses
Type II diabetes mellitus Included: C105100 Diabetes mellitus, adult onset, + ophthalmic manifestation There is no clinical reason for type II diabetes why you would include the first two codes and exclude the second two. They should all be included.
C10z100 Diabetes mellitus, adult onset, + unspecified complication
Omitted:
C100100 Diabetes mellitus, adult onset, no mention of complication
C101100 Diabetes mellitus, adult onset, with ketoacidosis
Type I diabetes mellitus Included: C10EE00 Type 1 diabetes mellitus with hypoglycaemic coma There is no clinical reason for type I diabetes why you would include the first two codes and exclude the second two. They should all be included.
C10EN00 Type 1 diabetes mellitus with ketoacidotic coma
Omitted: C10E300 Type 1 diabetes mellitus with multiple complications
C10EA00 Type 1 diabetes mellitus without complication
Rheumatoid arthritis Included: N065.00 Unspecified polyarthropathy or polyarthritis The included and omitted codes are contradictory. This leads to additional, unnecessary, inclusion and exclusion terms.
Omitted: N065.11 Polyarthropathy not elsewhere classified
Marital status Included: 13IL300 Wife alive The included and omitted codes are contradictory. This leads to additional, unnecessary, inclusion and exclusion terms.
Omitted: 13IL700 Husband alive
Included: 13IL.00 Health of spouse
Omitted: 13Fe.00 Lives with spouse
Included: 13ID.00 Partner unemployed
Omitted: 13IZ400 Partner alive
13IZ500 Partner unwell
13IZ600 Partner well
Cohabitation Included: 13IL300 Wife alive The included and omitted codes are contradictory. This leads to additional, unnecessary, inclusion and exclusion terms.
Omitted: 13IL700 Husband alive
Included: 13IL.00 Health of spouse
Omitted: 13Fe.00 Lives with spouse
13HG.11 Spouse left home
Living alone Included: 13FH.00 Lives with relatives These codes are examples of living with someone and are therefore not examples of living alone.
13Is.00 Lives with grandfather
13It.00 Lives with grandmother
Residence Included:
U10F100 Fall from cliff, occurrence in residential institution The included codes indicate residence in a residential institution. The omitted codes are equivalent to this and should be included.
U128100 Bitten by crocodile or alligator, occurrence in residential institution
Omitted: U1B2100 Prolonged stay in weightless environment, occurrence in residential inst…
U196100 Victim of avalanche, occurrence in residential institution
Religion Omitted: 13yL.00 Tibetan Buddhist These codes are examples of religions and should be included.
Omitted: 13yu.00 Coptic orthodox
Omitted: 13zS.00 Weslyan Methodist
Country of birth Omitted: 13dt.00 Born in Isle of Man These codes are indicative of country of birth and so should be included.
Omitted: 13du.00 Born in Faroe Islands
Omitted: 13dv.00 Born in Greenland
Ethnicity Omitted: 9TC..00 Roma ethnic group These codes are descriptive of ethnicity and so should be included.
Omitted: 9TC0.00 Bulgarian Roma
Omitted: 9TC1.00 Czech Roma
Included: 9S6..00 Indian The included and omitted codes are contradictory. This leads to additional, unnecessary, inclusion and exclusion terms.
Omitted: 1347.00 Indian origin
Heart failure Included: G55..00 Cardiomyopathy There is no clinical reason for heart failure why you would include one code for cardiomyopathy but then exclude others. They should all be included.
Omitted: G558200 Dystrophic cardiomyopathy
Omitted: G558400 Amyloid cardiomyopathy
Omitted: G558.00 Cardiomyopathy in disease EC
Shortness of breath Omitted: 173g.00 Breathlessness causing difficulty eating This code is a synonym for shortness of breath and so should be included.
Tuberculosis Included: Ayu1900 Miliary tuberculosis, unspecified The included and omitted codes are contradictory. This leads to additional, unnecessary, inclusion and exclusion terms.
Omitted: Ayu1800 Other miliary tuberculosis
Included: Ayu1300 Respiratory TB unspecified, no mention of bacteriological confirmation
Omitted: Ayu1100 Respiratory TB unspecified, confirmed bacteriologically and histologically
Cancer not non-melanoma skin cancer Omitted: B305B00 Malignant neoplasm of fourth metacarpal bone These are types of cancer and should be included.
Omitted: ByuB.00 Malignant neoplasm of thyroid and other endocrine glands
Omitted: B640000 B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Omitted: B624.12 Hairy cell leukaemia
Omitted: B509.00 Malignant melanoma of eye
Asthma Included: 679J000 Health education—asthma self management The included and omitted codes are contradictory. This leads to additional, unnecessary, inclusion and exclusion terms.
Omitted: 679J.00 Health education–asthma
HHS Vulnerability Disclosure