Validation of inpatient international classification of disease ninth revision codes as predictors of venous leg ulcers

• DOI: 10.1111/wrr.12700
• Publication Date: 2019-01-28T22:28:22Z
• Authors: J.A. Jaller; E.S. Darwin; J.I. Silverberg; H.A. Lev‐Tov
• Keywords: Male; Inpatients; Wound Healing; Middle Aged; Varicose Ulcer; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; International Classification of Diseases; Predictive Value of Tests; Humans; Female; Aged

Abstract Venous leg ulcers (VLU) comprise about 70% of lower wounds and cost more than 14 billion USD per year. Patients with VLU are often admitted to the hospital; however, epidemiological study this important patient subset is challenged by lack validated database search protocol. Five International Classification Diseases (ICD) 9 codes were identified for their relationship VLUs (454.0, 454.2, 459.11, 707.9, 707.10). The ICD9 code was considered successfully predict a if wound located in gaiter area had either relevant clinical findings, positive venous study, and/or diagnosis written physician note. 454.0, when combined length admission subjects’ age, yielded high specificity (100%) predictive value (100%), sacrificing sensitivity (34.4%). This formula represents viable criterion identify patients large‐scale datasets examine patients’ outcomes, costs, comorbidities.