Key result
ICD-10 codes for type 1 MI showed 53% sensitivity and 99% specificity, whereas codes for type 2 and types 3-5 MI demonstrated extremely low sensitivity (3% and 0%) despite 99% specificity.
Why the study?
ICD-10 codes are commonly used to identify myocardial infarction in clinical research and trials, but their accuracy for distinguishing MI subtypes is uncertain.
Do ICD-10 codes accurately identify myocardial infarction subtypes in individuals undergoing troponin testing?
Observational (n=24,524)
Do ICD-10 codes accurately identify myocardial infarction subtypes in individuals undergoing troponin testing?
ICD-10 codes have unacceptably low sensitivity for identifying specific MI subtypes, indicating they may not be reliable for clinical research, quality metrics, or value-based programs.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Standalone ICD-10 codes should not identify MI subtypes for research or quality reporting; leaves open the requirement for troponin adjudication to ensure accuracy.[[1]](https://www.sciencedirect.
International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD‑10) codes are commonly used for identifying myocardial infarction (MI) in clinical research and increasingly used to capture events in clinical trials, however, their accuracy for distinguishing MI subtypes is uncertain. In a study of 24,524 individuals undergoing troponin testing, type 1 MI ICD‑10 codes showed moderate sensitivity (53%) but high specificity (99%), whereas the ICD-10 codes for type 2 MI and types 3–5 MI demonstrated extremely low sensitivity (3% and 0%, respectively) despite high specificity (99%). These data suggest that ICD‑10 codes for each individual MI subtype have such low sensitivity that they may not reliably and accurately identify these MI subtypes in clinical research or in quality metrics and value-based programs.
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Suscha et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Myocardial infarction (n=24,524). ICD-10 codes was evaluated on Accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of ICD-10 codes for distinguishing MI subtypes. ICD-10 codes for type 1 MI showed 53% sensitivity and 99% specificity, whereas codes for type 2 and types 3-5 MI demonstrated extremely low sensitivity (3% and 0%) despite 99% specificity.
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