HEALTHCARE COST & UTILIZATION PROJECT

User Support

Do Your own analysis
Explore Expert Research & Limited Datasets

NEDS Description of Data Elements

 
ECODEn - ICD-9-CM External Cause of Injury Code
 
Documentation Sections:
General Notes
Uniform Values
State Specific Notes
General Notes
 

In the HCUP databases, ICD-9-CM external cause of injury codes (E codes) are represented as 4- to 5-character alphanumeric codes with implicit decimals (i.e., decimals not included). Prior to data year 2014, the HCUP data elements for E Codes are length 5; in 2014, they are length 7. The first digit is the character E with all subsequent digits being numeric. The codes are left-justified in the HCUP databases so that prior to 2014 there is one space following a 4-character E code (three spaces in 2014). For example, the E code E916 would appear as 'E916 ' with a trailing blank in HCUP data and the code E917.1 would appear as 'E9171'.

The storage of E codes in the HCUP databases varies by data year:

  • Beginning in October 2015, International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) external cause of morbidity codes are stored in the data element I10_ECAUSEn.
  • From January 2003 through September 2015, any separately reported E codes and any ICD-9-CM E codes encountered in the diagnosis array are placed in a separate array specific to E codes (ECODEn).
  • Prior to 2003, ICD-9-CM E codes are included in the diagnosis array (DXn).

E codes are compared to a list of ICD-9-CM codes valid for the discharge date. Anticipation of or lags in response to official ICD-9-CM coding changes are permitted for discharges occurring within a window of time around the official ICD-9-CM coding changes (usually October 1). In the data prior to 1998, a six months window (three months before and three months after) is allowed. Beginning in the 1998 data, a year window (six months before and six months after) is allowed. Invalid and inconsistent E codes are masked directly. Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) data elements are coded with respect to the E code.

  Invalid Diagnosis Inconsistent Code
The value of ECODEn "invl" "incn"
E_CCSn Set to invalid (.A). Set to inconsistent (.C)
 
Top
 
Uniform Values
VariableDescriptionValueValue Description
ECODEnICD-9-CM External Cause of Injury CodeE codeannnn
BlankMissing
InvlInvalid E code
 
Top
 
 
State Specific Notes

Arizona (SID and SEDD)

Beginning in data year 2009, hospitals in Arizona are required to report E codes for an injury diagnosis in the range 800-999. In addition, the number of E codes that could be retained on a discharge record increased.



California (SID)

Prior to data year 2010, California did not require the reporting of E-codes in the range E870-E879 (misadventures and abnormal reactions).



Georgia (SID and SEDD)

Starting in 2003, the Georgia Hospital Association requires that any ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes indicating medical misadventures (E870-E879) and adverse reactions (E940-E949) be excluded from the list of diagnosis codes on the record.



South Carolina (SID and SEDD)

South Carolina does not provide to HCUP E-codes in the range E870-E876 (misadventures and abnormal reactions).


 
Top
 
 

Internet Citation: HCUP NEDS Description of Data Elements. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). May 2015. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/db/vars/ecoden/nedsnote.jsp.
Are you having problems viewing or printing pages on this website?
If you have comments, suggestions, and/or questions, please contact hcup@ahrq.gov.
Privacy Notice, Viewers & Players
Last modified 5/8/15