Appendix

ICD-10 chapter level groupings of causes of death

In this bulletin patterns of multiple causes are described according to the broad-level classification of cause of death represented by ICD-10 chapters. A list of the ICD-10 chapters and the ICD-10 codes used for each chapter is presented in Table A1.

Table A1: ICD-10 chapter level cause of death and ICD-10 codes

ICD-10 chapter level cause of death ICD-10 codes
Certain infectious and parasitic diseases A00-B99
Neoplasms(a) C00-D48
Diseases of the blood & blood-forming organs & certain disorders involving the immune mechanism D50-D89
Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases E00-E90
Mental and behavioural disorders F00-F99
Diseases of the nervous system G00-G99
Diseases of the eye and adnexa H00-H59
Diseases of the ear and mastoid process H60-H95
Diseases of the circulatory system I00-I99
Diseases of the respiratory system J00-J99
Diseases of the digestive system K00-K93
Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue L00-L99
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue M00-M99
Diseases of the genitourinary system N00-N99
Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium O00-O99
Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period P00-P96
Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities Q00-Q99
Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, nec R00-R99
Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes S00-T98
External causes of morbidity and mortality V01-Y98
  1. Benign and malignant tumours. Referred to as cancers in this bulletin.

nec = not elsewhere classified

Source: WHO 2009.

Deaths from selected chronic diseases

The chronic diseases selected for analysis in this bulletin are those reported in the indicator for 'Deaths from leading chronic conditions' (AIHW 2009). Although these leading chronic conditions may not equate to the leading causes of death, this set of diseases reflects conditions that are currently the focus of health-related government agencies and researchers. The selected chronic disease causes of death and the codes used to indicate deaths from these conditions are presented in Table A2. Some modifications have been made for the purpose of this bulletin, namely, that all diabetes deaths are reported and that COPD deaths include deaths that were due to bronchitis not specified as acute or chronic.

Table A2: Chronic disease causes of death and ICD-10 codes

Chronic disease cause of death ICD-10 codes
Colorectal cancer C18-C21
Liver cancer C22
Lung cancer C33-C34
Breast cancer C50
Prostate cancer C61
Diabetes(a) E10-E14
Dementia and Alzheimer disease F00-F03, G30
Coronary heart disease I20-I25
Cerebrovascular disease I60-I69
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(b) J40-J44
Asthma J45-J46
Chronic and unspecified kidney failure(c) N18-N19
  1. In this bulletin, deaths from all types of diabetes were assessed. This contrasts with using only Type 2 diabetes in the indicator for 'Deaths due to leading chronic diseases' (AIHW 2009).

  2. In this bulletin, deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) include deaths due to bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic. In the indicator for 'Deaths due to leading chronic diseases' (AIHW 2009), COPD deaths exclude deaths due to deaths due to bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic.

  3. End-stage renal failure is referred to as 'chronic and unspecified kidney failure' which includes end-stage renal failure; the ICD-10 codes are the same as those used in the indicator for 'Deaths due to leading chronic diseases' (AIHW 2009).

Table A3: Ill-defined causes of death and ICD-10 codes

Leading cause of death ICD-10 codes
Cardiac arrest, unspecified I46.9
Low blood pressure, unspecified I95.9
Other and unspecified disorders of circulatory system I99
Acute respiratory failure, unspecified J96.0
Respiratory failure, unspecified J96.9
Respiratory failure of newborn P28.5
Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, nec (excludes R95 SIDS) R00-R94, R96-R99

nec = not elsewhere classified

SIDS Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Source: WHO 2009.

Table A4: ICD-10 codes for the most common causes of death(a) occurring with selected chronic disease causes of death

Cause of death ICD-10 codes
Cancers of unknown primary site C26, C39, C76-C80
Diabetes(b) E10-E14
Dementia and Alzheimer disease F00-F03, G30
Mental & behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use F10-19
Hypertensive diseases I10-I15
Coronary heart disease I20-I25
Cardiac arrhythmias I47-I49
Heart failure I50-I51
Cerebrovascular disease I60-I69
Influenza and pneumonia J09-J18
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(c) J40-J44
Cirrhosis of the liver K70-K76
Kidney failure N17-N19
  1. The cause groups presented here are for the leading associated and leading multiple cause of death categories as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6.

  2. In this bulletin, deaths from all types of diabetes were assessed. This contrasts with using only Type 2 diabetes in the indicator for 'Deaths due to leading chronic diseases' (AIHW 2009).

  3. In this bulletin, deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) include deaths due to bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic. In the indicator for 'Deaths due to leading chronic diseases' (AIHW 2009), COPD deaths exclude deaths due to deaths due to bronchitis, not specified as acute or chronic.

Source: Leading cause of death tabulation based on Becker et al. 2006 and modified by AIHW for the Australian health context.