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articles Complication
Complication
Complication, in medicine, is a unfavorable
evolution of a disease, a health condition or a medical treatment.
The disease can become worst 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.
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 less complications in comparison to invasive ones.
Examples of complications
- Generalized septicemia (infection of the blood) may occurr
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 (inflamation 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
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