Prepare for the AST Surgical Technologist Exam. Study with flashcards and multiple-choice questions; each question comes with hints and explanations. Get ready to succeed!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


An injury sustained by a patient due to care provided by a healthcare professional is referred to as?

  1. Iatrogenic

  2. Intrapersonal

  3. Nosocomial

  4. Chronic

The correct answer is: Iatrogenic

An injury sustained by a patient due to care provided by a healthcare professional is referred to as iatrogenic. This term specifically describes complications or adverse effects that arise as a result of medical treatment or intervention. For instance, if a surgical procedure inadvertently causes a complication, this would be classified as iatrogenic. In contrast, other terms relate to different contexts: intrapersonal refers to something occurring within an individual, often relating to personal thoughts or emotions; nosocomial pertains to infections acquired in a hospital setting that were not present at the time of admission; and chronic describes conditions that are long-lasting or persistent but does not inherently imply causation by medical treatment. Each of these terms has its own distinct meaning and usage in the medical field, making iatrogenic the most appropriate choice for injuries resulting from healthcare provider actions.