IATROGENIC COMBINATIONS AND ENHANCEMENT O F THE QUALITY OF EVERYDAY MEDICAL-CARE

There is a relationship between iatrogenic complications of medical pr ocedures and the quality of medical services. The risk of iatrogenic c omplications or diseases occurring is growing over time for several re asons: patients under medical care grow older and sicker, diagnostic a nd therapeutic procedures are expanding at a fast pace, and complexity and uncertainty in daily care tends to grow. This development will co ntinue unless we actively start to prevent iatrogenic complications. T he frequency of iatrogenic illness was found to be between 4 and 36% o f ail patients treated in a hospital setting. The wide span is a resul t of different definitions of what is an iatrogenic complication. When an iatrogenic illness occurs we are obliged to look for ''errors in t he system'' in order to eliminate them. In a hospital and practice env ironment the respective methods are different. By eliminating unnecess ary procedures the risk of possible damage is diminished. Necessary pr ocedures must be performed at the most skilled level. We describe and discuss two cases of iatrogenic complications and the benefits and dis advantages of guidelines. The creation of guidelines should be placed on a rational and scientific basis.