Type 2 Myocardial Infarctions: How Accurate Is the Coding?

Many studies depend on administrative codes, and the new International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision codes have considerable specificity. A key question is whether we can rely on codes for specific cardiac diagnoses, such as type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI).

Investigators at a large tertiary center identified 633 patients who were recently coded as having a T2MI. Based on physician adjudication of their medical records, only 57% met criteria for T2MI, which was defined as an MI with an identifiable preceding imbalance between myocardial oxygen supply and demand not associated with cardiac thrombus. Of the remainder, 42% had nonischemic myocardial injury without a demand precipitant, 1% ha…