Defining neurotrauma in administrative data using the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision

This paper reviews the ICD-10 definitions used internationally to inform the definition for neurotrauma surveillance using administrative data in Ontario, Canada. The use of administrative medical data is attractive for neurotrauma surveillance because it is collected systematically and it is less expensive than independently collecting data. Internationally, inconsistent definitions are used to define brain and spinal cord injuries. An abstraction study of data would be an asset in understanding the effects of inclusion and exclusion of codes in the definition.

• 1
  Twenty-four articles and reports were identified; 15 unique definitions for TBI and 7 for SCI were found.
• 2
  The definitions recommended for use in Ontario by this paper are F07.2, S02.0, S02.1, S02.3, S02.7, S02.8, S02.9, S06, S07.1, T90.2, and T90.5 for traumatic brain injuries and S14.0, S14.1, S24.0, S24.1, S34.1, S34.0, S34.3, T06.0, T06.1 and T91.3 for spinal cord injuries.
• 3
  Codes used to define spinal cord injuries were more consistent across sources. Injury to the cervical spinal cord (S14.0, S14.1), injury to the thoracic spinal cord (S24.0, S24.1), and injury to the lumbar spinal cord (S34.0, S34.1) were universally used to define spinal cord injury.