Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39740231›Full record

ArticleContact dermatitis2025

Imprecise Coding in Allergic Contact Dermatitis: A Register-Study From Northern Finland Between Years 1999 and 2022.

Jenni Kämäräinen, Touko Loukkola, Joanna Mikkola, Minna Sivonen, Jari Jokelainen, Eetu Kiviniemi, Laura Huilaja, Suvi-Päivikki Sinikumpu

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Article in Contact dermatitis, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Jenni KämäräinenFaculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Touko LoukkolaFaculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Joanna MikkolaFaculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Minna SivonenFaculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Jari JokelainenNorthern Finland Birth Cohorts, Arctic Biobank, and Infrastructure for Population Studies, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Eetu KiviniemiNorthern Finland Birth Cohorts, Arctic Biobank, and Infrastructure for Population Studies, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Laura HuilajaDepartment of Dermatology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
Suvi-Päivikki SinikumpuDepartment of Dermatology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6496-5475

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRegistry-based data are increasingly used in dermatological research. A recent epidemiological study has shown that the use of non-specific diagnostic codes is common among dermatologists.

objectivesTo study closely the use of the diagnostic codes L23.8 ('allergic contact dermatitis [ACD] for other agents') and L23.9 ('ACD with unspecified cause') by using single-centre data. PATIENTS/MATERIALS/

methodsThis retrospective study included all patients whose record contained at least one entry of either code, recorded at the Oulu University Hospital, Finland, between the Years 1999 and 2022.

resultsThe database search retrieved records of 472 patients with the L23.8 code, 264 patients with L23.9. Over the 20-year follow-up period, the use of L23.8 increased and that of L23.9 decreased. In most (85.1%) cases, the L23.8 code was used even though the more specified L23 code could have been chosen. In one-third of cases, L23.8 was used to cover ACD with multiple allergens that would otherwise be identified by their specific sub-codes. The L23.9 code was used most often prior to patch testing (69.1% cases).

conclusionsThis study revealed several imprecisions in the use of both codes. Our study highlights the importance of correct coding in clinical practice, as it emphasises the most common pitfalls.

Indexed as

Clinical CodingDermatitis, Allergic ContactAdultAgedAllergensFemaleFinlandHumansMaleMiddle AgedPatch TestsRegistriesRetrospective StudiesAllergensallergic contact dermatitiscodingdiagnostic codesL23.8L23.9

Identifiers

PMID39740231
PMCPMC11880878

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.