Wiki ICD-9 code for Downwinders Syndrome

[dadhich.girish]

Hi all,

Please help me navigate ICD-9 code for Downwinders Syndrome.

Thanks,

Girish Dadhich

 

[ehanna]

Hi all,

Please help me navigate ICD-9 code for Downwinders Syndrome.

Thanks,

Girish Dadhich

I copied this from Wikipedia (Not my favorite publication but the explanation was easy to read and matched up with other medical publications) and it appears it speaks to exposure to radiation/nuclear fallout and is prevelant in certain areas.

You might have to code "exposures" and symptoms. Not encough time to further research so good luck and here is some information to get you going.

Downwinders


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Downwinders refers to the individuals and communities in the intermountain area between the Cascade and Rocky Mountain ranges in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho who are exposed to radioactive contamination or nuclear fallout from atmospheric or underground nuclear weapons testing, and nuclear accidents.[1]

More generally, the term can also include those communities and individuals who are exposed to ionizing radiation and other emissions due to the regular production and maintenance of coal ash, radionuclides associated with hydraulic fracturing, nuclear weapons, nuclear power, nuclear waste and geothermal energy.[2] In regions near U.S. nuclear sites, downwinders may be exposed to releases of radioactive materials into the environment that contaminate their groundwater systems, food chains, and the air they breathe. Some downwinders may have suffered acute exposure due to their involvement in uranium mining and nuclear experimentation.[3]

Several severe adverse health effects, such as an increased incidence of cancers, thyroid diseases, CNS neoplasms, and possibly female reproductive cancers that could lead to congenital malformations have been observed in "downwind" communities exposed to nuclear fallout and radioactive contamination.[4] The impact of nuclear contamination on an individual is generally estimated as the result of the dose of radiation received and the duration of exposure, using the linear no-threshold model (LNT). Sex, age, race, culture, occupation, class, location, and simultaneous exposure to additional environmental toxins are also significant, but often overlooked, factors that contribute to the health effects on a particular "downwind" community.[5]