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[Iatrogeny in cardiology]
A C Pereira1, R A Franken, S R Sprovieri
1Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 02402-500.
Insights
Iatrogeny, or harm from medical care, significantly impacts cardiac disease management. This review discusses iatrogenic heart conditions arising from both actions and omissions in medical practice.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Ethics
- Patient Safety
Context:
- Iatrogeny, defined as patient harm resulting from medical interventions, is a growing concern in healthcare.
- Cardiac disease management presents unique challenges where iatrogenic events can significantly impact patient outcomes.
- Understanding the spectrum of iatrogenic heart disease is crucial for improving patient care.
Purpose:
- To provide a concise overview of iatrogenic heart disease.
- To highlight the different types of iatrogeny relevant to cardiology.
- To discuss the implications of iatrogenic events throughout the patient care pathway.
Summary:
- Iatrogeny encompasses harm caused by both direct medical actions and the omission of necessary actions.
- Cardiac iatrogenic conditions are unfortunately common, affecting diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies.
- Examples of iatrogenic heart disease are presented to illustrate the scope of the problem.
Impact:
- Enhancing awareness of iatrogenic risks in cardiology can lead to improved patient safety protocols.
- This commentary aims to stimulate further research into the prevention and management of iatrogenic heart disease.
- Recognizing iatrogenic causes is vital for refining medical practices and reducing preventable patient harm.
Abstract:
The word iatrogeny derives from the Greek and concerns any disorder caused to the patient by inaproppriate medical practice. Unfortunately, the rise of an iatrogenic disease is related to the daily handline of cardiac disease. There are two types of iatrogeny: that caused by a medical action and omission iatrogeny, caused by the lack of a medical action. Iatrogeny occurs in all steps of medical practice starting with the patient-doctor relationship including diagnosis treatment and finally prevention of diseases. This article makes a brief commentary about iatrogenic heart disease and mentions some examples of it.
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