Infection
Main inclusion criteria
Diseases caused by pathogens, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, sexually transmitted infections and studies of infection and infectious agents.
Advice on health categories
Infection should be used for all research on pathogens and diseases caused by infection. These studies should be coded as 100% Infection and should not also be coded to the target disease site.
e.g. infection by malaria parasite should be coded as 100% Infection and not Blood.
e.g. respiratory infections should be coded as 100% Infection and not Respiratory.
Studies involving acute immune response to infection should be coded as Infection. However studies of natural tolerance and immunity to infections should be coded as 100% Inflammatory and Immune System.
Excludes TSEs, CJD and prion studies which should be coded as 100% Neurological regardless of whether the study is investigating transmission or mechanism of disease.
Infections can often follow or precede other diseases or conditions. There is general guidance on sequelae and side effects of disease, but there are also several examples across the existing HRCS guidance where addition of further health categories would be recommended:
- Studies of the downstream consequences of infection may also be coded to the disease or condition under investigation.
- e.g. surgery on diseased liver from Hepatitis C infection should be coded as 50% Infection and 50% Oral and Gastrointestinal.
- Studies that involve infection of a specific target patient group should be coded as 50% Infection and 50% to the appropriate health category.
- e.g. respiratory infection in people with cystic fibrosis should be coded as 50% Infection and 50% Congenital Disorders.
- General studies on sexual health, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs), should be coded as 50% Infection and 50% Reproductive Health and Childbirth, but only if there is no named pathogen. If a pathogen is specified, use 100% Infection.
- e.g. Studies of total STI rate in teenagers should be coded as 50% Infection, 50% Reproduction.
- e.g. Studies of gonorrhea in teenagers should be coded as 100% Infection.
- Studies of cancer causing pathogens should be coded as 50% Cancer and 50% Infection.
- Sepsis should be coded as 50% Infection and 50% Inflammatory and Immune System.
Official terminology
|
Full name of category |
Short name | Unique ID |
| Infection | Infection |
HRCS_HC_07INF |