NECODE indicates the total number of external cause of injury codes "E codes" (valid and invalid) that are included in the E code array (ECODEn)

In the HCUP State Databases, all E codes are retained on the record. In the NIS, only the first four E codes are retained on the record. Prior to the 2012 NIS, NECODE retained the number of E Codes on the corresponding SID record. Starting with the 2012 NIS, NECODE is set to a maximum of four.

For data beginning in the fourth quarter of 2015, the count of ICD-10-CM external cause of morbidity codes is stored in the data element I10_NECause.