What are ICD-11 codes for heart diseases?

What are ICD-11 codes for heart diseases?

Many of you would have noted ICD codes for diagnosis in the hospital discharge summaries of relatives. ICD stands for the International Classification of Diseases. The 11th revision known as ICD-11 came into effect on 1st January 2022. ICD coding is used globally and provides information on the extent, causes and consequences of human disease. It is also used for classification of cause of death reporting to having comparability among various health systems. ICD coding is widely used by payment systems like insurance, health services research and administration of quality and safety.

The latest version ICD-11, was adopted by the 72^nd World Health Assembly in 2019 and came into effect on 1st January 2022. 35 countries are using ICD-11 as per the World Health Organization (WHO) press release on 11 February 2022. There are about 17 000 unique codes, more than 120 000 codable terms and is entirely digital.

ICD-11 codes for diseases of the circulatory system are 11^th among the 26 groups in ICD-11. This includes diseases of the heart and blood vessels. But some conditions like certain parasitic infections are excluded while some others like diseases of the blood vessels of the brain are coded elsewhere.

There are a large number of ICD-11 codes for diseases of the circulatory system which can be accessed from ICD-11 website. The subgroups start with hypertensive heart disease. BA00 is the code for essential hypertension while BA01 codes for hypertensive heart disease. Essential hypertension is high blood pressure without any other cause and is the commonest variety in adults.

Among the codes for ischemic heart disease, BA40 codes for angina pectoris and BA41 for acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). Sub classification BA41.0 stands for acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), which needs emergency angioplasty (block removal). Subsequent myocardial infarction will be coded as BA42. Ischemic heart diseases are those in which a blood vessel of the heart is blocked partially or completely. BA50 codes for an old myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Codes for diseases of blood vessels of lungs, called pulmonary heart disease, starts with BB00 for pulmonary thromboembolism. Pulmonary thromboembolism is the lodging of blood clots formed elsewhere, carried by the blood circulation into the blood vessels of the lungs. BB01 codes for pulmonary hypertension or increased pressure in blood vessels of the lungs. There are several subcategories based on the reason for the increase. Those secondary to lung disease will be coded as BB01.2

Inflammation of the covering of the heart known as pericarditis is coded as BB20 when it is acute. BB20.0 coded for pericarditis due to infections. Chronic rheumatic pericarditis is coded as BB21. The code for collection of fluid in the pericardial cavity (between the layers of the covering of the heart) is BB25.

Infections of the inner lining of the heart known as endocarditis coding starts with BB40 for acute or subacute infectious endocarditis. Acute rheumatic endocarditis is coded elsewhere as 1B41.1. In this context, acute rheumatic fever with heart involvement is coded as 1B41. They are coded under the separate heading of 01: Certain infectious or parasitic diseases, in the beginning of the ICD-11 codes.

Coding for heart valve disease starts with BB60 for mitral valve stenosis (narrowing of the valve between the left upper and lower chambers of the heart). BB60.0 encodes for rheumatic mitral valve stenosis while BB60.1 codes for Nonrheumatic mitral valve stenosis. BB62 is for mitral valve prolapse (bending backwards of the mitral valve). If it is rheumatic mitral valve prolapse, it is sub coded as BB62.0, while BB62.1 stands for degenerative mitral valve prolapse. Coding for other valves are also there in detail.

Diseases of the heart muscle or chambers are included under BC40s, with inflammation of the heart or myocarditis coded as BC42. Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy) is coded as BC43. This is subclassified into BC43.0 for dilated cardiomyopathy, BC43.1 for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (heart muscles thickened) and BC43.2 for restrictive cardiomyopathy. Stress cardiomyopathy, popularly known as broken heart syndrome, is coded as BC43.5 and diabetic cardiomyopathy as BC43.7.

Coding for heart rhythm disorders (cardiac arrhythmia) starts with BC60 for atrial premature depolarization (atrial ectopic beat). The commonest heart rhythm abnormality, ventricular premature depolarization (better known as ventricular ectopic beats) is coded as BC70. Ventricular tachycardia is coded as BC71.0 and the lethal ventricular fibrillation as BC71.1. These are very dangerous fast rhythms in the lower chambers of the heart.

Heart failure codes start with BD10 for congestive heart failure. Left ventricular failure is coded as BD11, with sub coding BD11.0 for left ventricular failure with preserved ejection fraction and BD11.2 for left ventricular failure with reduced ejection fraction. Right ventricular failure is coded BD13 and biventricular failure (failure of both lower chambers of the heart) as BD14.

This is only a general introduction to the ICD-11 coding for heart disease. The whole list is exhaustive and can be accessed from the ICD-11 browser at: https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en. Direct link to the diseases of the circulatory system: https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en#/http%3a%2f%2fid.who.int%2ficd%2fentity%2f426429380.