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NCHS 50 Leading Causes of Death

  • The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) has developed a uniform procedure for ranking cause of death. Using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coding structure, 113 selected causes of death were consolidated from the entire ICD coding structure. For more information about the NCHS rankings see Cause of Death Ranking on the NCHS website.


  • In order to provide a consistent ranking standard the NCHS (National Center for Health Statistics) prepared a list of 113 selected causes of death. The NCHS 50 leading causes of death are taken from the list of 113.


  • ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes with comparability ratios:

    http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr49/nvsr49_03.pdf , page 33.


  • Updated ICD-10 codes (2005): http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr53/nvsr53_17.pdf, page 3.


  • Updated ICD-10 codes (2009): http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr58/nvsr58_01.pdf.

  • Updated ICD-10 codes (2010): http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr58/nvsr58_19.pdf, page 41.


  • Updated ICD-10 codes (2021): https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-04.pdf, page 3.


  • Code List (last updated July 2010)

    • The IBIS system uses these selected causes of death in the Mortality Query Module. The ICD-9 codes are also used in the Hospital and Emergency Department module to provide a means of comparison.


    The new ICD codes for terrorism are bolded and the ICD-10 codes are preceded with '*'. See Classification of Death and Injury Resulting from Terrorism on the CDC website.



    Cause of Death ICD-9 Codes ICD-10 Codes Comparability Ratio Standard Error Note
    1 Salmonella infections 002-003 A01-A02 0.81 0.0644
    2 Shigellosis and amebiasis 004, 006 A03, A06 * *
    3 Tuberculosis 010-018 A16-A19 0.85 0.0172
    4 Whooping cough 033 A37 * *
    5 Scarlet fever and erysipelas 034.1 - 035 A38, A46 * *
    6 Meningococcal infection 036 A39 1.00 0.0149
    7 Septicemia 038 A40-A41 1.19 0.0042
    8 Syphilis 090-097 A50-A53 0.64 0.1184
    9 Acute poliomyelitis 045 A80 * *
    10 Arthropod-borne viral encephalitis 062-064 A83-A84, A85.2 * *
    11 Measles 055 B05 * *
    12 Viral hepatitis 070 B15-B19 0.83 0.0120
    13 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease 042-044 B20-B24 1.06 0.0018
    14 Malaria 084 B50-B54 * *
    15 Malignant neoplasms 140-208 C00-C97 1.01 0.0002
    16 In situ neoplasms, benign neoplasms and neoplasms of uncertain or unknown behavior 210-239 D00-D48 1.67 0.0164
    17 Anemias 280-285 D50-D64 0.96 0.0077
    18 Diabetes mellitus 250 E10-E14 1.01 0.0011
    19 Nutritional deficiencies 260-269 E40-E64 1.16 0.0165
    20 Meningitis 320-322 G00, G03 1.01 0.0136
    21 Parkinson's disease 332 G20-G21 1.00 0.0028
    22 Alzheimer's disease 331.0 G30 1.55 0.0071
    23 Diseases of heart 390-398, 402, 404, 410-429 I00-I09, I11, I13, I20-I51 0.99 0.0002
    24 Essential (primary) hypertension and hypertensive renal disease 401, 403 I10, I12 1.12 0.0050
    25 Cerebrovascular diseases 430-434, 436-438 I60-I69 1.06 0.0008 435:transient cerebral ischemia
    26 Atherosclerosis 440 I70 0.96 0.0025
    27 Aortic aneurysm and dissection 441 I71 1.00 0.0010
    28 Influenza and pneumonia 480-487 J09-J18 0.70 0.0018
    29 Acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis 466 J20-J21 0.75 0.0264
    30 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 490-494, 496 J40-J47 1.05 0.0009 495:extrinsic allergic alveolitis
    31 Pneumoconioses and chemical effects 500-506 J60-J66, J68 1.02 0.0099
    32 Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids 507 J69 1.12 0.0048
    33 Peptic ulcer 531-534 K25-K28 0.97 0.0045 534:Gastrojejunal ulcer
    34 Diseases of appendix 540-543 K35-K38 1.03 0.0242
    35 Hernia 550-553 K40-K46 1.04 0.0154 560:intestinal obstruction without mention of hernia
    36 Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 571 K70, K73-K74 1.04 0.0027
    37 Cholelithiasis and other disorders of gallbladder 574-575 K80-K82 0.96 0.0060
    38 Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis 580-589 N00-N07, N17-N19, N25-N27 1.23 0.0044
    39 Infections of kidney 590 N10-N12, N13.6, N15.1 1.01 0.0144
    40 Hyperplasia of prostate 600 N40 1.00 0.0159
    41 Inflammatory diseases of female pelvic organs 614-616 N70-N76 0.98 0.0410
    42 Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium 630-676 O00-O99 * *
    43 Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period 760-771.2, 771.4-779 P00-P96 1.07 0.0033 771.3:tetanus neonatorum
    44 Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities 740-759 Q00-Q99 0.85 0.0055
    45 Unintentional injuries E800-E869, E880-E929 V01-X59, Y85-Y86 1.03 0.0014
    46 Intentional self-harm (suicide) E950-E959 X60-X84, Y87.0, *U03 1.00 0.0005 *U03 added 10/2005
    47 Assault (homicide) E960-E969, E979, E999 X85-Y09, Y87.1, *U01-*U02 1.00 0.0006 *U01-*U02, E979, E999 added 10/2005
    48 Legal intervention E970-E978 Y35, Y89.0 * *
    49 Operations of war and their sequelae E990-E998 Y36, Y89.1 * *
    50 Complications of medical and surgical care E870-E879, E930-E949 Y40-Y84, Y88 * *
    51 COVID-19 U071 * * Added by DHSS in 2020

    Division of Data, Systems, and Evaluation, Utah Department of Health and Human Services | Telephone: 801-538-9191 | Email: dse@utah.gov
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    Content updated: Fri, 1 Nov 2024 14:48:15 MDT