This report describes the results of that analysis, which found drowning was the most common cause of death related to Sandy, and 45 percent of drowning deaths occurred in flooded homes in Evacuation Zone A. For example, a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “to characterize deaths related to Sandy, CDC analyzed data on 117 hurricane-related deaths captured by American Red Cross (Red Cross) mortality tracking during October 28–November 30, 2012. An average season has 12 named storms, six hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.” A Matter of Life or Death: The CDC explains the need for accurate “Hurricane” dataĬomplete and accurate coding and reporting of hurricane aftermath injuries and mortalities creates data that is analyzed and used to determine, for example, what injuries and mortalities may be preventable. In total, the season produced 15 named storms, including eight hurricanes of which two were ‘major’ (Category 3, 4 or 5). There were nearly 4,000 fatalities and countless injuries associated with this deadly hurricane season, translating to an increase in the use of codes reported for injuries associated with hurricanes and aftermaths.Īccording to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season “will be remembered most for hurricanes Florence and Michael, which caused significant damage in the southeastern U.S. The 2005 hurricane season was and remains the most active hurricane season in recorded history, with 15 total hurricanes and including three Category 5 hurricanes: Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Of interest, although this “OCG” is new and effective as of October 1, 2019, this topic was formally first addressed many years ago, in 2005, in a document issued by the Cooperating Parties titled “ICD-9-CM Coding Advice for Healthcare Encounters in Hurricane Aftermath.” Thus, if this new 2019 OCG appears familiar to the alert and oriented coder, it is because it is very similar to this document from 2005. It could be easy to miss key words and phrases, such as “should not be assigned” vs “should be assigned.” Background The narratives for each of these components are presented in single large paragraphs with examples and instructions embedded within. We recommend a thorough reading of this new guideline and all components.
Other External Causes of Morbidity Code Issues Sequencing of External Causes of Morbidity Codes The new guideline is titled “Coding for Healthcare Encounters in Hurricane Aftermath.” A completely new official coding guideline (“OCG”), not a revision, was added to Section I.B.