You shoud, not keep your array fear, as ist is not too complicated, but, sorry - this does not look as a good example for an array. I would rather go one of these two ways:

1) Make a format for your diagnoses (diagname1..diagnameN) with PROC FORMAT and then apply this format to your variables. If your really need a char-variable with your format you can get it with the vvalue function for each dxN: diagnameN = vvalue(dxN)

(indeed: here you could use an array for the 25 dxN).

2) Put the diagnames into a dataset together with the codes and then combine data and codes with a merge by statement or with SQL.

HTH

Dietrich

machellewilchesky@gmail.com schrieb: > Hi > I have been avoiding using Arrays for years and today is the day where > I have put my foot down and have tried to face my fears and learn how > to use them for once and for all. > > I have a clinical dataset with 25 diagnosis codes (A primary diagnosis > and 24 potential secondary diagnosis variables). For each of these 25 > diagnosis codes I want to be able to define a new variable called > Diagname which corresponds to one of 46 possibilities. > > In a non-array world, my program would look something like this: > > data one; > set x; > if dx1 ='4270' then diagname1='Paroxysmal supraventricular > tachycardia' > if dx2 ='4270' then diagname2='Paroxysmal supraventricular > tachycardia' > .. > .. > .. > if dx25 ='4270' then diagname25='Paroxysmal supraventricular > tachycardia' > > if dx1 ='4274' then diagname1='Ventricular Fibrillation and flutter' > if dx2 ='4274' then diagname2='Ventricular Fibrillation and flutter' > .. > .. > .. > if dx25 ='4274' then diagname25='Ventricular Fibrillation and flutter' > > etc... > > Since I have 25 diagnoses *46 diagnosis codes, the full program would > require 1,150 lines of code, and so this seems like a likely candidate > for array processing. I have tried several ways to make it work but > I'm obviously missing something... An example of code I have tried is > this: > > data one; > set x; > attrib diagname1-diagname25 format=$70.; > > Array dxnum{25} dx1-dx25; > > Array diagnum(25) diag1-diag25; > > Array ICD{46}$ ('4270' '4271' '4272' '4273' '4274' '4275' '4276' > '4278' '4279' 'I471' 'I472' 'I479' 'I480' 'I481' > 'I490' 'I460' 'I469' 'I491' 'I492' 'I493' 'I494' > 'I470' 'I471' 'I495' 'I498' 'I499' 'R000' 'R001' 'R008' > > 'R012' 'I499' 'I518' '4289' 'I509' '4299' '4260' 'I442' > > '7853' '4298' 'I231' 'I232' 'I233' 'I2380' 'I2381' > 'I2382' 'I2388'); > > Array Diagname{46} $ ('Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia' > 'Paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia' > 'Paroxysmal tachycardia, unspecified' > 'Atrial Fibrillation and flutter' > 'Ventricular Fibrillation and flutter' > 'Cardiac Arrest' > 'Premature beats' > 'Other specified cardiac dysrhythmias' > 'Cardiac dysrhythmia, unspecified' > 'Supraventricular tachycardia' > 'Ventricular tachycardia' > 'Paroxysmal tachycardia, unspecified' > 'Atrial fibrillation and flutter' > 'Ventricular fibrillation and flutter' > 'Cardiac arrest' > 'Cardiac arrest with successful resuscitation' > 'Cardiac arrest, unspecified' > 'Atrial premature depolarization' > 'Junctional premature depolarization' > 'Ventricular premature depolarization' > 'Other and unspecified premature depolarization' > 'Re-entry ventricular arrhythmia' > 'Supraventricular tachycardia' > 'Sick sinus syndrome' > 'Other specified cardiac arrhythmias' > 'Cardiac arrhythmia, unspecified' > 'Tachycardia, unspecified' > 'Bradycardia, unspecified' > 'Other and unspecified abnormalities of heart beat' > 'Other cardiac sounds' > 'Cardiac arrhythmia, unspecified' > 'Other ill-defined heart diseases' > 'Heart failure, unspecified' > 'Heart failure unspecified' > 'Heart disease, unspecified' > 'Atrioventricular block, complete' > 'Atrioventricular block complete' > 'Other abnormal heart sounds' > 'Other ill-defined heart diseases' > 'Atrial septal defect as current complication following Acute MI' > 'Ventricular septal defect as current complication following Acute MI' > 'Rupture of cardiac wall without haemopericardium as following Acute > MI' > 'Papillary muscle dysfunction following acute MI' > 'Pericarditis following acute myocardial infarction' > 'Postmyocardial infarction angina' > 'Other complications following acute MI'); > > do j=1 to 25; > do k=1 to 46; > > if dxnum{j}= icd{k} then diagnum{j}=diagname{k}; > end; > end; > run; > > > Any and all points in the right direction would be appreciated! > > Thanks in advance, > > Machelle >

-- ---------------------------------------------------------------- DIETRICH ALTE, Dipl.-Statistiker, Dr. rer. med. Institut für Epidemiologie & Sozialmedizin --> Studien-Management "Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP)" EMA-Universität Greifswald - Medizinische Fakultät Walther-Rathenau-Str. 48, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany URL www.medizin.uni-greifswald.de/epidem/ Phone ++49(0)3834-867713, Fax ++49(0)3834-866684 ----------------------------------------------------------------