External causes of morbidity or mortality

Description

!markdown The WHO definition of an ‘injury’ is: ‘Injuries are caused by acute exposure to physical agents such as mechanical energy, heat, electricity, chemicals, and ionizing radiation interacting with the body in amounts or at rates that exceed the threshold of human tolerance. In some cases, (for example, drowning and frostbite), injuries result from the sudden lack of essential agents such as oxygen or heat. Injuries may be categorized in a number of ways. However, for most analytical purposes and for identifying intervention opportunities, it is especially useful to categorize injuries according to whether or not they were deliberately inflicted and by whom. Commonly used categories are: - unintentional (i.e. accidental) - intentional (i.e. deliberate): - interpersonal (e.g. assault and homicide) - self-harm (e.g. abuse of drugs and alcohol, self-mutilation, suicide) - legal intervention (e.g. action by police or other law enforcement personnel) - war, civil insurrection and disturbances (e.g. demonstrations and riots) - undetermined intent Regarding the collection of events that cause injuries, a set of definitions apply. See ICD-11 Reference guide sections 2.21.8.9 'Coding of transport injury events', and 2.23.19 'Standards and coding instructions for injury events'.