Medical harm
Medical harm
Medical harm (pronunciation: /ˈmɛdɪkəl hɑːrm/) refers to any adverse event or negative outcome that occurs as a result of medical treatment or intervention. This can include physical injury, psychological trauma, or even death. Medical harm can occur in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes.
Etymology
The term "medical harm" is derived from the combination of the words "medical", which comes from the Latin medicus meaning "pertaining to physicians", and "harm", which originates from the Old English hearm meaning "injury or damage".
Types of Medical Harm
There are several types of medical harm, including:
- Medical error: This refers to preventable adverse effects of care, whether or not it is evident or harmful to the patient. This might include an inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis or treatment of a disease, injury, syndrome, behavior, infection, or other ailment.
- Iatrogenic harm: This is harm that is caused by the actions of a physician or surgeon. This can include harm from surgical procedures, medication side effects, or incorrect diagnoses.
- Nosocomial infection: These are infections that are acquired in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. They can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites.
Related Terms
- Patient safety: This is a discipline that emphasizes safety in health care through the prevention, reduction, reporting, and analysis of medical error that often leads to adverse effects.
- Adverse event: This is an injury caused by medical management rather than the underlying disease or condition of the patient.
- Healthcare quality: This is the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Medical harm
- Wikipedia's article - Medical harm
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