The need for a better representation of allergic and
hypersensitivity conditions in the ICD
Originally perceived as secondary disorders by most of health
professionals, A/H represent one of the fastest growing group of
conditions worldwide and have become a major public health
problem . It is estimated that more than 150 million Europeans and over
25 to 30% of the world’s population are affected by these conditions
(11,12). The Asthma and Allergy Foundation states that allergy affects
one in five citizens (6) and accounts for more than 17 million
outpatient office visits per year in the Unites States of America alone
(7). The estimated annual cost of allergies is nearly $7 billions (6).
Allergies now represent the fourth most common chronic disease category
in the world (6,12). WHO predicts that in 2050, 1 in 2 people in the
world will suffer from allergies with a steady increase, especially in
industrialized countries. In France, the number of people suffering from
an allergy has doubled in 20 years, especially among children and
adolescents (8,11-13). Proper documentation, classification and coding
of patients’ allergy information is vital to support their care, safety,
and education. However, A/H have never been well
classified and coded in the ICD . The current classification framework,
ICD-10, presents conceptual and operational failures for A/H, as
demonstrated and published in Brazil for anaphylaxis (10).