Snowball

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Snowball

Snowball (/ˈsnōˌbôl/) is a term used in the medical field to describe a phenomenon where a minor health issue escalates into a major one due to a chain reaction of complications. The term is derived from the metaphor of a small snowball rolling down a hill, gaining size and speed as it goes along.

Etymology

The term "snowball" originates from the physical phenomenon of a small ball of snow rolling down a hill and gathering more snow, thus becoming larger and faster. In a medical context, it is used metaphorically to describe a situation where a minor health issue escalates into a major one due to a chain reaction of complications.

Related Terms

  • Complication: An unforeseen health issue that arises as a direct result of a disease, injury, or treatment.
  • Cascade effect: A chain reaction that occurs when a small change causes a similar change nearby, which then will cause another similar change, and so on in linear sequence.
  • Domino effect: A chain reaction that occurs when a small change causes a similar change nearby, which then causes another similar change, and so on in a domino effect.
  • Vicious circle: A complex of events that reinforces itself through a feedback loop.

See Also

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski