ICD-11 classes
23 External causes of morbidity or mortality

ICD-11 23 External causes of morbidity or mortality

The WHO definition of an ‘injury’ is: ‘Injuries are caused by acute exposure to physical agents such as mechanical energy, heat, electricity, chemicals, and ionizing radiation interacting with the body in amounts or at rates that exceed the threshold of human tolerance. In some cases, (for example, drowning and frostbite), injuries result from the sudden lack of essential agents such as oxygen or heat’.Injuries may be categorized in a number of ways. However, for most analytical purposes and for identifying intervention opportunities, it is especially useful to categorize injuries according to whether or not they were deliberately inflicted and by whom. Commonly used categories are:unintentional (i.e. accidental)intentional (i.e. deliberate):interpersonal (e.g. assault and homicide)self-harm (e.g. abuse of drugs and alcohol, self-mutilation, suicide)legal intervention (e.g. action by police or other law enforcement personnel)war, civil insurrection and disturbances (e.g. demonstrations and riots)undetermined intentRegarding the collection of events that cause injuries, a set of definitions apply. See section ‘Definition related to transport accidents’.

The diagnosis includes nothing.

The diagnosis excludes nothing.

Diagnosis contains 11 clarifying diagnoses:

  1. Unintentional causes
    It contains 11 clarifying diagnoses.
  2. Intentional self-harm
    It contains 11 clarifying diagnoses.
  3. Assault
    It contains 11 clarifying diagnoses.
  4. Undetermined intent
    It contains 11 clarifying diagnoses.
  5. Exposure to extreme forces of nature
    It contains 10 clarifying diagnoses.
  6. Maltreatment
    It contains 5 clarifying diagnoses.
  7. Legal intervention
    It contains 10 clarifying diagnoses.
  8. Armed conflict
    It contains 11 clarifying diagnoses.
  9. Causes of healthcare related harm or injury
    It contains 8 clarifying diagnoses.
  10. PL2Y — Other specified external causes of morbidity or mortality
  11. PL2Z — External causes of morbidity or mortality, unspecified

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