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).