18.3.66 NA - numeric array (2A.3.45)

HL7 Component Table - NA - Numeric Array

Core Framework									Base Standard Profile
Seq#	Description	Interpretation	Flags	Cardinality	Length	C.LEN	Vocabulary	Data Type	Implement	Cardinality	Vocabulary
NA
1	Value1			[0..1]				NM
2	Value2			[0..1]				NM
3	Value3			[0..1]				NM
4	Value4			[0..1]				NM
5	xx			[0..1]				NA

Definition: This data type is used to represent a series (array) of numeric values. A field of this type may contain a one-dimensional array (vector or row) of numbers. Also, by allowing the field to repeat, a two-dimensional array (table) of numbers may be transmitted using this format, with each row of the table represented as one repetition of the field. Arrays that have one or more values not present may be transmitted using this data type. "Not present" values are represented as two adjacent component delimiters. If the absent values occur at the end of a row, the trailing component delimiters may be omitted. If an entire row of a table has no values, no component delimiters are necessary (in this case, there will be two adjacent repetition delimiters).

Example 1: vector of 8 numbers

|125^34^-22^-234^569^442^-212^6|

Example 2: 3 x 3 array of numbers

|1.2^-3.5^5.2~2.0^3.1^-6.2~3.5^7.8^-1.3|

Example 3: 5 x 4 array of numbers with the values in positions (1,1), (2,2), (2,3), (3,3), (3,4), (4,1), (4,2), (4,3), and (4,4) not present

|^2^3^4~5^^^8~9^10~~17^18^19^20|