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Complications Definition
1. The act of complicating.
2. A confused or intricate relationship of parts.
3. A factor, condition, or element that complicates.
4. Medicine. A secondary disease, an accident, or a negative reaction
occurring during the course of an illness and usually aggravating the
illness.
Dental Dictionary: Complication
A disease or injury that develops during
the treatment of an earlier disorder. An example is a bacterial
infection acquired by a person weakened by a viral infection.
Veterinary Dictionary : Complication
1. a disease(s) concurrent with another
disease.
2. the occurrence of two or more diseases in the same patient.
3. the occurrence of a second disease as a consequence of the first.
Wikipedia : Complication (medicine)
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, a reaction that is the
opposite to the intended purpose of the drug. An example is
benzodiazepines, a class of psychoactive drugs considered minor
tranquilizers with varying hypnotic, sedative, anxiolytic,
anticonvulsant, and muscle relaxant effects; paradoxically they may also
create hyperactivity, anxiety, convulsions etc. in susceptible
individuals. [1]
* Erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence are prevalent to
prostatectomy.
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