Iatrogensis Disease

By -Preet Kaur

Iatrogenic Disease
Iatro

means Doctor means caused by

Genic

Iatrogenic

disease refers to doctor created illness This is illness that is caused by sickness care, i.e., medical care

INTRODUCTION

Iatrogenesis is inadvertent (inattentive) adverse effects or complications caused

by or resulting from medical treatment or advice

Also, Iatrogenesis are actions by other healthcare professionals, such as psychologists, therapists, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, and others

Iatrogenesis is not restricted to conventional medicine and can also result from complementary and alternative medicine treatments Causes: - chance, medical error, - negligence, social control - adverse effects or interactions of prescription drugs

Cause of hospital iatrogenic deaths per year

2,000

- unnecessary surgery 7,000 - medication errors in hospitals 20,000 - other errors in hospitals 80,000 - infections in hospitals 106,000 - non-error ,negative effects of drugs

Sources of Iatrogensis

Medical Error

wrong prescription, (due to illegible handwriting) negligence faulty procedures, techniques, information, or methods failure in life support instruments prescription drug interaction adverse effects of prescription drugs over-use of drugs leading to antibiotic resistance in bacteria nosocomial infection (hospital-acquired infections) blood transfusion

Medical error and negligence

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actual negligence or faulty procedures are involved, such as when drug prescriptions are handwritten by the pharmacotherapist

mistakes made in surgery, or the prescription or dispensing of the wrong therapy, such as a drug
adverse effects of a medical treatment are iatrogenic; for example hair loss, anemia, vomiting, nausea, brain damage etc

Adverse effects
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caused by drug interaction, i.e., when pharmacotherapists fail to check for all medications a patient is taking and prescribe new ones which interact agonistically or antagonistically Adverse reactions, such as allergic reactions to drugs

antibiotic resistance in bacteria is iatrogenic

Nosocomial infections
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iatrogenic illness due to or acquired during hospital care, such as an infection nosocomial infections caused by unclean or inadequately sterilized hypodermic needles, surgical instruments, and the use of ungloved hands to perform medical or dental procedures

For example, a number of hepatitis B and C infections caused by dentists and surgeons on their patients

Psychology
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iatrogenesis can occur due to misdiagnosis Eg. partially or completely iatrogenic include bipolar disorder, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse