Statement of Principles concerning anal fissure No. 247 of 1995 (Cth)

Statement of Principles

concerning

ANAL FISSURE

Instrument No. 247 of 1995 as amended

made under section 196B(2) of the

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

This compilation was prepared on 7 August 2008 taking into account Amendment of Statement of Principles concerning anal fissure (Instrument No. 11 of 1997)

Prepared by the Repatriation Medical Authority Secretariat, Brisbane

Statement of Principles

concerning

ANAL FISSURE

ICD CODES: 565.0

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986
subsection 196B(2)

1.         Being of the view that there is sound medical-scientific evidence that indicates that anal fissure and death from anal fissure can be related to operational service rendered by veterans, peacekeeping service rendered by members of Peacekeeping Forces and hazardous service rendered by members of the Forces, the Repatriation Medical Authority determines, under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act1986 (the Act), that the factors that must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting anal fissure or death from anal fissure with the circumstances of that service, are:

(a)        undergoing anal surgery immediately before the clinical onset of anal fissure; or

(b)        suffering trauma to the perineum immediately before the clinical onset of anal fissure; or

(c)        being infected with HIV before the clinical onset of anal fissure; or

(d)        suffering Crohn's disease before the clinical onset of anal fissure; or

(e)        suffering constipation immediately before the clinical onset of anal fissure; or

(f)         suffering from ulcerative colitis before the clinical onset of anal fissure; or

(g)        inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for the anal fissure.

2.         Subject to clause 3 (below) at least one of the factors set out in paragraph 1(a) to 1(g) must be related to any service rendered by a person.

3.       The factor set out in paragraph 1(g) applies only where:

(a)        the person's anal fissure developed before a period, or part of a period, of service to which the factor is related; and

(b)        the relationship suggested between the anal fissure and the particular service of a person is a relationship set out in paragraph 8(1)(e), 9(1)(e), 70(5)(d) or 70(5A)(d) of the Act.

4.       For the purposes of this Statement of Principles:

“anal fissure” means a longitudinal, elliptical or rounded defect in the anoderm, extending part or all of the way from the anal verge to the pectinate line, attracting ICD code 565.0;

“being infected with HIV” means serological evidence of infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, attracting an ICD code in the range 042 - 044;

“constipation” means infrequent or difficult evacuation of the faeces that leads to straining at stool, attracting ICD code 564.0;

“Crohn's disease” means an inflammatory disease of the digestive system, involving the bowel wall, characterised by the presence of epithelioid cell granuloma, often with giant cells, attracting ICD code 555;

“'ICD code' means a number assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in the Australian Version of The International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM), effective date of 1 July 1996, copyrighted by the National Coding Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW, and having ISBN 0 642 24447 2;

“trauma to the perineum” means injury to the region between the thighs caused, for example, by childbirth, laceration by a foreign body, sexual assault or surgical procedures, attracting ICD code 664, 863.89 or 863.99;

“ulcerative colitis” means a chronic recurrent inflammatory disease of the colon, usually limited to the mucosa and submucosa, characterised by diffuse inflammatory cell infiltrate and crypt abscesses, attracting ICD code 556;

“trauma to the perineum” means injury to the region between the thighs caused, for example, by childbirth, laceration by a foreign body, sexual assault or surgical procedure, attracting ICD code 664;

“ulcerative colitis” means a chronic recurrent inflammatory disease of the colon, usually limited to the mucosa and submucosa, characterised by diffuse inflammatory cell infiltrate and crypt abscesses, attracting ICD code 556.

Notes to Statement of Principles concerning anal fissure (Instrument No. 247 of1995)

The Statement of Principles concerning anal fissure (Instrument No. 247 of 1995) in force under section 196B(2) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986, as shown in this compilation is amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Instruments

Title	Date of notification in Gazette or FRLI registration	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Statement of Principles concerning anal fissure (Instrument No. 247 of1995)	28 June 1995 (see Gazette 1995, No. GN25)	28 June 1995
Amendment of Statement of Principles concerning anal fissure  (Instrument No. 11 of 1997)	29 January 1997 (see Gazette 1997, No. GN4)	29 January 1997

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Heading of Instrument  - ‘ICD CODE: 565.0’		am. Instrument  No.11 of 1997
Paragraph 4 - ‘ “anal fissure” means a longitudinal……………..’		am. Instrument No. 11 of 1997
Paragraph 4 – ‘ “ICD code” means a number assigned……………’		rs. Instrument No. 11 of 1997
Paragraph 4 – ‘ “trauma to the perineum” means injury to the region………’		am. Instrument No. 11 of 1997