A chart can change the meaning of a public-health table before anyone interprets its trend. One common error is replacing a suppressed cell with zero. Preserve the status of the cell through cleaning, calculation and presentation.
CDC WONDER’s FAQ explains that small values can be withheld for privacy and displayed as suppressed. The applicable thresholds and circumstances vary by dataset. Read the specific dataset’s documentation rather than assuming one universal rule.
Keep a value-status column
| Source state | Working record |
|---|---|
| Numeric observation | Value plus its unit and source label. |
| Suppressed | A suppression flag, without an invented number. |
| Other missing information | The source’s stated missingness description. |
This is a suggested editorial schema. It keeps distinctions visible when a spreadsheet or plotting tool expects a numeric column.
Decide how the chart communicates the gap
Use a legend or note that identifies suppressed entries. A gap, a labelled symbol or another appropriate convention should not look like an observed zero. Document the choice so another editor can reproduce the presentation.
Check calculations that exclude nonnumeric cells. A displayed sum or average may refer only to available observations. State that scope where relevant and do not present a partial calculation as a complete population total.
Respect the boundary
Do not attempt to reconstruct protected small values from other rows or identify people. If an analysis needs a different level of aggregation, use an appropriate authorised release and its documentation rather than back-solving a hidden cell.
No WONDER query or data extraction was performed for this guide. It explains faithful handling of source states, without supplying a suppression threshold for an unspecified dataset, reporting a real local rate or drawing a clinical conclusion. A reader should be able to see which charted values were actually available.
Official source documentation read 21 October 2026. The worksheets are editorial reading aids; no population result, individual diagnosis or clinical recommendation is supplied.
Sources: Official indicator or dataset documentation. Related discussion: health information source quality.
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