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posted by cmn32480 on Friday September 01 2017, @07:31PM   Printer-friendly
from the coma-by-slow-news-day dept.

The World Health Organization sets a list of medical conditions into well-used code called the "International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems," or ICD for short. The official alphanumeric ciphers are used in medical records and insurance claims worldwide, noting the wide range of ailments and conditions a human may experience—everything from "tuberculosis" and "gastric ulcers" to "struck by orca" and "burn due to water skis on fire."

The latter categories of unusual and puzzlingly specific conditions even inspired the 2014 book Struck by Orca: ICD-10 Illustrated.

But how often are these peculiar codes actually used? An insurance data company did the work to find out. The most bizarre ICD codes listed in the 2014 book, such as the title "struck by orca," were not used in the US in the last 12 months, which is both good and disappointing. But codes just slightly less bizarre were used—some quite a lot, such as W503: "accidental bite by another person."

You'll have to read the fine article to enjoy the rest, but the author does close the article with this little bit:

Of course, codes with such few uses may suffer from just transcription error, Amino notes. Still, be careful out there, especially around cows, sword fights, power tools, and pedestrian obstacles.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 01 2017, @09:27PM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 01 2017, @09:27PM (#562731)

    Third grade: The class is out playing softball.
    David Powers and Steve Adams are both running to field a high fly ball.
    They collide and David ends up with 2 incisor wounds in his forehead.

    -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 01 2017, @09:51PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 01 2017, @09:51PM (#562735)

    Then in college, Adam and Steve...

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 01 2017, @09:57PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 01 2017, @09:57PM (#562738)

      This ain't reddit, git back to your beautiful coast, hot women, and good food!

  • (Score: 2) by fliptop on Friday September 01 2017, @10:47PM

    by fliptop (1666) on Friday September 01 2017, @10:47PM (#562757) Journal

    They collide and David ends up with 2 incisor wounds in his forehead

    I had a similar encounter in 2nd grade during a collision on the playground. My teeth hit someone else's head and they needed stitches. With all the kids running around I'm surprised it doesn't happen more than 10,600 times a year. I wonder if it occurred more often before dodgeball and tag were banned.

    --
    Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
  • (Score: 2, Funny) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday September 02 2017, @12:41AM

    by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Saturday September 02 2017, @12:41AM (#562789) Homepage

    Last Weekend: Ethanol-fueled gets drunk and walks around his apartment after shitposting on SoylentNews.

    " Amino found that 25,500 people experienced a W2203, which is code for 'walked into furniture.' "

    This is a big problem with IKEA furniture. On my bedframe I have damaged both my shins and my ankle. Or when I round the corner around my breakfast bar too tight and get a toe or two snagged on the seatbench. Or, if overhead cabinets count, forget I leave one open and run my head right into its corner.

    " W6132: 'struck by chicken.'
    W5511: 'bitten by horse,' "

    I learned these the hard way as a kid on my grandma's ranch. I don't know where the cartoon stereotype of hens sitting all calm and content in the coop came from, but what I do remember is that I dreaded going in there because it was a chaotic swarm of loud and mean motherfuckers with a lot of pointy ends on them. And when they're as tall as your dick is high off the ground, being around them gets the heart pumping.

    Nobody taught me how to feed horses treats before it was too late, so the first time I fed a horse an apple I held it like a baseball pitcher holds a changeup. So for those of you who don't know, hold it in your flat palm with fingers outstretched, as if your hand were a dinner plate, and gently push the remainder into their mouth.

    The remainder mentioned in the article are no surprise either. I knew a framer who accidentally shot himself right through the hand with a nailgun. I've been injured and almost maimed by power-tools countless times. Even Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi knows the dangers of operating machinery, he cut all of his right-hand fingertips off while cutting sheet metal, which forced him to improvise his own thimbles and play guitar with the other handedness.