Citation

McClain PW, Pollock DA. J. Trauma 1989; 29(1): 55-58.

Affiliation

Division of Injury Epidemiology and Control, Center for Environmental Health, Atlanta, GA 30333.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2911104

Abstract

The publication of Injury in America emphasized a renewed interest in the scientific study of trauma. Collection and analysis of population-based data were viewed as necessary prerequisites for the establishment and evaluation of injury prevention programs. While it was noted that there is an existing broad-based gathering of injury mortality information, it was also made clear that there is a paucity of systematically collected morbidity data. A fundamental step toward correcting this deficiency is to identify and adopt a uniform system for coding causes of injury morbidity that is compatible with the large body of mortality data currently being collected. This paper describes a microcomputer-based program, which is intended to aid in the selection of External Cause of Injury Codes (E-codes). It is designed for coding both fatal and nonfatal injury causes and is appropriate for use in the hospital setting. The system is a modification of the one currently used for coding all injury deaths in the United States.