From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Complication, in medicine, is an unfavorable evolution of a disease, a health condition or a medical treatment. The
disease can become worse in its severity or show a higher number of
signs, symptoms or new pathological changes, become widespread
throughout the body or affect other organ systems. A medical
treatment, such as drugs or surgery may produce adverse effects and/or produce new health
problem(s) by itself. A new disease may also appear as a
complication to a previous existing disease. Therefore, a
complication may be iatrogenic, i.e., literally brought
forth by the physician.
Medical knowledge about a disease, procedure or treatment
usually entails a list of the most common complications, so that
they can be foreseen, prevented or recognized more easily and
speedily.
Depending on the degree of vulnerability, susceptibility, age, health status, immune system
condition, etc. complications may arise more easily. Complications
affect adversely the prognosis of a disease. Non-invasive and minimally invasive medical procedures
usually favor fewer complications in comparison to invasive ones.
Examples of
complications
- Generalized septicemia (infection of the blood) may
occur as a complication of an infected wound or abscess
- Allergic shock can be a reaction to several
kinds of anesthetics,
as a complication in a surgery
- Fractured ribs and sternum may be a complication of cardiopulmonary
resuscitation attempts in people suffering severe osteoporosis
- Puerperal
fever may be a common complication of childbirth and used to kill a large
proportion of mothers before the advent of antisepsis and antibiotics
- Diabetes
mellitus may present a series of complications in an advanced
or more severe stage, such as gangrene, diabetic foot, blindness, infections, etc.
- Thrombosis in the
heart or brain, causing stroke or acute
myocardial infarction can be complications of blood coagulation disorders, phlebitis (inflammation of
the veins),
endocarditis and
artificial heart valves
- Eczema
vaccinatum is a rare and severe complication of smallpox vaccination in people
with eczema
- Hepatotoxic dementia is a possible complication of hepatitis and liver cirrhosis
- Mental
retardation is a common complication of untreated hydrocephalus
- A paradoxical reaction to a drug
that is the totally the opposite effect of the intended purpose of
the drug. As in "benzodiazepines" (pronounced
[ˌbenzəʊdaɪˈæzəpiːnz], or "benzos" for short) a class of
psychoactive drugs considered a minor tranquilizers with
varying hypnotic, sedative, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, and muscle relaxant drug
that may create exactly the opposite effect (paradoxical reaction)
on susceptible individuals. [1]
- Erectile dysfunction and urinary
incontinence are prevalent to prostatectomy.
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