The acronym of ‘ICD’ means ‘International Classification of Diseases’ of the World Health Organization (WHO).  The WHO has been the author and copyright holder of ICD since 1946, starting with the sixth revision.  ICD is currently on its 10th Revision, Fifth Edition, from 2016. 

• ICD-10-CM (Clinical Modification) used in the U.S.
         o Three- to seven-character codes
         o American English
         o Laterality specificity (for all paired structures)
         o Specificity of fractures (sequela, initial encounter and subsequent encounters
            for: routine healing, delayed healing, non-union & malunion)
         o Approximate number of codes: 93,800
• ICD-10-CA used in Canada
          o Three- to five-character codes
          o British English
          o Limited laterality specificity (breast, testes)
          o Approximate number of codes: 15,400
• ICD-10-AM used in Australia
          o Three- to five-character codes
          o British English
          o Not laterality specific
          o Approximate number of codes: 18,200

Within a country, medical coders and clinicians tend to simply state ICD or ICD-10, but a team like the 3M HDD who works with customers in multiple countries would always clarify which specific code set (and even version) is being referred to.

The WHO is working on the 11th revision of ICD with implementation after 2018 so be prepared for more changes and modifications.  If you have questions or need help with mapping to your ‘ICD’ please contact us.