Statement of Principles concerning chilblains No. 265 of 1995 (Cth)

Instrument No.265 of 1995

Statement of Principles

concerning

CHILBLAINS

ICD CODE: 991.5

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986
subsection 196B(2)

1.         Being of the view that there is sound medical-scientific evidence that indicates that chilblains and death from chilblains 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 chilblains or death from chilblains with the circumstances of that service, are:

(a)       having exposed the affected part of the body to non-freezing temperatures below 10Celsius immediately before the clinical onset of chilblains; or

(b)       inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for the chilblains.

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

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

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

(b)       the relationship suggested between the chilblains 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:

“chilblains” means a recurrent localised erythema and doughy subcutaneous swelling caused by exposure to cold and accompanied by pruritus and a burning sensation, attracting ICD code 991.5;

“ICD code” means a number assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in the tenth edition of the International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision, effective date of 1 October 1993, copyrighted by the US Commission on Professional and Hospital Activities, and having the Library of Congress number 77-94472;

Dated this       Twenty-first         day of         June              1995

The Common Seal of the    )

Repatriation Medical Authority                   )

was affixed to this instrument   )

in the presence of:   )

KEN DONALD

CHAIRMAN