Template:ICD10 Guideline Chronic Substance Abuse
This template puts the rules for chronic substance abuse into the relevant diagnoses.
To use:
{{Chronic Substance Abuse Rule}}
Chronic Substance Abuse Guidelines
- The issue of "chronic abuse/dependence/addiction" is hard to pin down and comes down to a judgement call (specifically, the judgement of collectors and the physicians writing chart notes):
- Obviously it is present if CURRENT dependence or addiction is present.
- But it can exist even in the abence of identified dependence or addiction, if chronic abuse is present.
- There are actually TWO judgements required to identify chronic abuse: (a) what is heavy use, and (b) what duration qualifies as chronic use
- Furthermore, and complicating the issue, is that chronic abuse is about BOTH duration and quantity.
- Heavier use for shorter periods COULD be considered as chronic abuse.
- e.g. even without dependence or addiction, >5 years of heavy or regular use qualifies as "chronic abuse"
- But the actual CUTOFF for the duration that qualifies as "chronic" is not easily delineated and depends somewhat on how heavy the use is
- So again, the bottom line for defining "chronic abuse" is a judgement call
See ICD10 Guideline for drugs and substances for more info on coding substance related ICD10 diagnoses.