Inpatient hospital fatality related to coding (ICD-9-CM) of the influenza diagnosis in Spain (2009–2015)

BACKGROUND: To analyze hospitalization episodes with an ICD-9 diagnosis code of influenza (codes 487 and 488) in any diagnostic position from 2009 to 2015 in the Spanish hospital surveillance system. METHODS: Information about age, length of stay in hospital, mortality, comorbidity with an influenza diagnosis code between 1 October 2009 and 30 September 2015 was obtained from the National Surveillance System for Hospital Data (Conjunto Mínimo Básico de Datos, CMBD). RESULTS: 52,884 hospital admissions were obtained. A total of 24,527 admissions corresponded to diagnoses ICD-9 code 487 (46.4%), and 28,357 (53.6%) corresponded to ICD-9 code 488. The global hospitalization rates were 8.7 and 10.6 per 100,000 people, respectively. Differences between the two diagnostic groups were found for each of the six analyzed seasons. The diagnostic ICD-9-CM 488, male gender, and high-risk patients classified by risk vaccination groups showed direct relationship with inpatient hospital death. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza diagnosis was present in a significant number of hospital admissions. The code used for diagnosis (ICD-9-CM 488), male sex, age groups and associated risk clinical conditions showed a direct relationship with inpatient hospital fatality.