Ingrown nail
Meaning of ingrown nail: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, ingrown nail means a condition in which the nail plate penetrates the soft tissue of the adjacent nail fold resulting in inflammation and pain (includes retronychia). (3) While ingrown nail attracts ICD-10-AM code L60.0, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of ingrown nail is that given in subsection (2). (4) For subsection (3), a reference to an ICD-10-AM code is a reference to the code assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Tenth Edition, effective date of 1 July 2017, copyrighted by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, ISBN 978-1-76007-296-4.
Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 72 of 2024
At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting ingrown nail or death from ingrown nail with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)having an acquired deformity of the affected digit which causes the nail to be pushed into the proximate soft tissue at the time of clinical onset;
Note: Examples of such a deformity include, but are not limited to hallux valgus, subungual exostosis, or deformity caused by systemic disease.
- (2)having an injury to the affected nail or the affected nail bed, within the 6 months before clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (3)being treated with; (a) an oral retinoid; (b) indinavir; (c) an epidermal growth factor inhibitor; (d) cyclosporine (cyclosporin); within the 6 months before clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (4)having excessive trimming of the affected toenail or rounding the corners of the affected toenail rather than cutting the nail straight across the top within 14 days before clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (5)wearing footwear that causes compression of the toes or pressure on the affected toenail. This includes but is not limited to footwear that is too narrow or too short, or has inadequate depth in the toe box on the affected foot, for at least 8 hours within the 4 weeks before clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (6)having hyperhidrosis affecting the feet within the 7 days before the clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (7)having an inability to regularly wash feet or socks within the 7 days before clinical worsening;
- (8)having diabetes mellitus at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (9)having a fungal infection involving the affected nail within the 1 year before clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (10)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for ingrown nail before clinical worsening;
Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 73 of 2024
9 factors
At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, ingrown nail or death from ingrown nail is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)having an acquired deformity of the affected digit which causes the nail to be pushed into the proximate soft tissue at the time of clinical onset;
Note: Examples of such a deformity include, but are not limited to hallux valgus, subungual exostosis, or deformity caused by systemic disease.
- (2)having an injury to the affected nail or the affected nail bed, within the 6 months before the clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (3)Being treated with; (a) an oral retinoid; (b) indinavir; (c) an epidermal growth factor inhibitor; (d) cyclosporine (cyclosporin); Within the 6 months before clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (4)having excessive trimming of the affected toenail or rounding the corners of the affected toenail rather than cutting the nail straight across the top within 14 days before clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (5)wearing footwear that causes compression of the toes or pressure on the affected toenail. This includes but is not limited to footwear that is too narrow or too short, or has inadequate depth in the toe box on the affected foot, for at least 8 hours within the 4 weeks before clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (6)having hyperhidrosis affecting the feet within the 7 days before the clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (7)having diabetes mellitus at the time of clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (8)having a fungal infection involving the affected nail within the one year before clinical onset or clinical worsening;
- (9)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for ingrown nail before clinical worsening;
