# External cause

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/External_cause
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/External_cause.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_cause
> Source revision: 1335677694
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

External reason for a medical condition

In [medicine](/source/Medicine), an **external cause** is a reason for the existence of a [medical condition](/source/Medical_condition) which can be associated with a specific object or acute process that was caused by something outside the body. Such causes are classified as "[E codes](/source/List_of_ICD-9_codes_E_and_V_codes%3A_External_causes_of_injury_and_supplemental_classification)" in [ICD 9](/source/ICD_9).[1]

External Cause of Injury Codes (E codes) are ICD-9-CM codes or ICD-10 codes that are used to define the mechanism of [death](/source/Death) or [injury](/source/Injury), along with the place of occurrence of the event. [\[1\]](http://www.phdsc.org/about/committees/presentations/ECIC_Tutorial2006.PPT) E codes are assigned on [death certificates](/source/Death_certificate) based on the [manner of death](/source/Manner_of_death). ICD-10 codes in the range V01–X59 refer to unintentional injuries. Codes in the range X60–X84 refer to intentional [self-harm](/source/Self-harm). Codes in the range Y85–Y09 refer to [assault](/source/Assault), and codes in the range Y10–Y34 refer to events of undetermined intent.[2]

E codes are well-collected on death certificate data, but less so on [hospital discharge](/source/Hospital_discharge) data. Numerous initiatives have increased the percentage of records coded (CDC, MMWR March 28, 2008 / Vol. 57 / No. RR-1).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-pmid11770664_1-0)** LeMier M, Cummings P, West TA (2001). ["Accuracy of external cause of injury codes reported in Washington State hospital discharge records"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1730776). *Inj. Prev*. **7** (4): 334–8. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1136/ip.7.4.334](https://doi.org/10.1136%2Fip.7.4.334). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [1730776](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1730776). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [11770664](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11770664).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision"](http://apps.who.int/classifications/apps/icd/icd10online/). *apps.who.int*.

v t e Consequences of external causes Temperature Elevated Burn Heat cramps Hyperthermia Heatstroke Heat exhaustion Heat syncope Reduced Aerosol burn Acrocyanosis Chilblains Cold intolerance Erythrocyanosis crurum Frostbite Hypothermia Non-freezing cold injury Radiation Chronic radiation keratosis Eosinophilic, polymorphic, and pruritic eruption associated with radiotherapy Radiation acne Radiation burn Radiation-induced cancer Radiation-induced erythema multiforme Radiation-induced hypertrophic scar Radiation-induced keloid Radiation-induced morphea Radiation poisoning Radiation recall reaction Sunburn Oxygen Asphyxia Hypoxia Oxygen toxicity Pressure Barotrauma Arterial gas embolism Aerosinusitis Middle ear barotrauma Pneumothorax Decompression sickness Inner ear decompression sickness High altitude Altitude sickness Chronic mountain sickness Death zone High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) Food Starvation Water Dehydration Drowning Immersion foot syndromes Trench foot Tropical immersion foot Warm water immersion foot Water intoxication Maltreatment Physical abuse Psychological abuse Sexual abuse Travel Motion sickness Airsickness Carsickness Seasickness Space adaptation syndrome Adverse effect Adverse drug reaction Hypersensitivity Allergy Anaphylaxis Angioedema Arthus reaction Other Electrical injury Lightning injuries Ungrouped skin conditions resulting from physical factors Dermatosis neglecta Pinch mark Pseudoverrucous papules and nodules Sclerosing lymphangitis Tropical anhidrotic asthenia UV-sensitive syndrome environmental skin conditions Electrical burn frictional/traumatic/sports Black heel and palm Equestrian perniosis Fissure of the nipple Pulling boat hands Runner's rump Surfer's knots Tennis toe Vibration white finger Weathering nodule of ear Wrestler's ear Painful fat herniation Uranium dermatosis iv use Skin pop scar Skin track Slap mark Pseudoacanthosis nigricans Narcotic dermopathy Category Commons Glossary Outline Portal

This medical diagnostic article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

- [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Med-diagnostic-stub)
- [t](/source/Template_talk%3AMed-diagnostic-stub)
- [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Med-diagnostic-stub)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [External cause](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_cause) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_cause?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.