ICD-10 Alcohol dependence F10 2

However, the patients in these studies generally were severe cases, and samples designed around the requirement that at least some of the variables be present to be analyzed may produce distorted results. DSM–III–R, DSM–IV, and ICD–10 cover similar content for dependence (table 1). Whereas the number of criteria differs in each nomenclature (nine in DSM–III–R, seven in DSM–IV, and six in ICD–10), each system requires that at least three criteria be met for the dependence diagnosis to be made. The definitions of dependence in all three systems include tolerance and withdrawal (the physiological indicators of alcohol dependence) among the criteria.

The risk of alcohol dependence begins at low levels of drinking and increases directly with both the volume of alcohol consumed and a pattern of drinking larger amounts on an occasion, to the point of intoxication, which is sometimes called binge drinking. Per the CDC, there is no known safe amount, time, or type of alcohol to drink while pregnant. Exposure to alcohol during pregnancy may result in a range of lifelong disorders known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders including growth deficiencies, facial abnormalities, central nervous system impairments, behavioral disorders, and impaired intellectual development.

A confusing issue that could drive a coder to drink.

The two manuals use similar but not identical nomenclature to classify alcohol problems. Alcohol abuse is defined as excess consumption of alcohol beyond moderate use and on a regular basis with resultant problems. Persons who are alcohol abusers are not physically dependent on alcohol. We have learnt many ICD 10 coding tips for pregnancy codes, Z codes, neoplasm, injury etc. But, coding for alcohol use, abuse and dependence have separate guidelines. Alcohol is classified as a depressant, which slows down vital functions (resulting in slurred speech, unsteady movement, disturbed perceptions and an inability to react quickly).

Women who have alcohol-use disorders often have a co-occurring psychiatric diagnosis such as major depression, anxiety, panic disorder, bulimia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or borderline personality disorder. Because only 3 of the 7 DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence are required, not all patients meet the same criteria and therefore not all have the same symptoms and problems related to drinking. Not everyone with alcohol dependence, therefore, experiences physiological dependence. Alcohol dependence is differentiated from alcohol abuse by the presence of symptoms such as tolerance and withdrawal. Both alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse are sometimes referred to by the less specific term alcoholism. However, many definitions of alcoholism exist, and only some are compatible with alcohol abuse.

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For a definite diagnosis of RDC alcoholism, three of these symptoms were required. To standardize assessment of the RDC criteria, a semistructured diagnostic interview, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS) (Endicott and Spitzer 1978) was designed. Test–retest studies of the SADS/RDC evaluation method showed that the reliability of most diagnostic categories was considerably improved compared with unstructured assessments.

The accumulated evidence in support of the alcohol abuse category is far weaker than the evidence for alcohol dependence. The reliability of alcohol abuse when assessed hierarchically (as required in DSM–III–R, DSM–IV, and ICD–10) is often much lower than the reliability of alcohol dependence. Though making the diagnosis of alcohol abuse independently from dependence appears to improve its reliability and validity, it is not clear that such a change would be sober house acceptable to different groups of clinicians and researchers. As preparations for work on DSM–V begin, the role and definition of alcohol abuse will be one topic of consideration for the DSM–V work group on substance use disorders (Hasin et al. 2003). In a proposal by Touquet and Harris (2012), a substantial change to the ICD-10 Y91 coding system for alcohol is envisaged. Alcohol use and its related disorders appear in many sections of ICD-10 (Table 1).

Studies on the Validity of Alcohol Dependence and Abuse

The most commonly used coefficient is kappa, representing the level of agreement beyond what would be expected by chance. A kappa of 1.0 indicates that all pairs of raters agreed perfectly on their diagnostic assessments. A kappa of 0.0 indicates agreement no better than chance (like flipping a coin). They indicate that raters disagreed more often than would be expected by chance.

They are often used to determine the homogeneity of a given diagnostic category (Feighner et al. 1972) or the relationship between two conditions. Consistency of a diagnosis over time suggests validity, whereas high likelihood that one condition will evolve into a specific, different condition at a later time suggests a lack of validity in the distinction between the two disorders. Good reliability is a requirement for good validity, but a reliable measure may not indicate the condition of interest. Alcohol dependence and abuse affects about 18 million people alone in United states.

Diagnostic Coding

It is fact that alcohol is often used as an attempt to cope with stress during the confinement of the lockdowns. Stressors may include a change in work schedules, kids’ educational routines, and financial strains. The respected medical journal JAMA, among other sources, has documented the increase in alcohol use. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three medications for treating alcohol dependence.

• In preliminary versions of ICD-10, there was an additional disorder ‘hazardous alcohol use’.
• The Y90 section classifies alcohol involvement according to the measured blood alcohol concentration.
• National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (NLAES) (Grant 1997) of 42,862 subjects, which was sponsored by NIAAA and conducted in the early 1990s.
• The respected medical journal JAMA, among other sources, has documented the increase in alcohol use.
• Many people find that initially, alcohol may help them to “loosen up” in social situations; over time, however, with heavier and/or problematic use, depressant effects of alcohol can become more prominent.