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Raphael Adar, MD
Tel Aviv University Medical School Tel Aviv, Israe

JAMA. 1987;257(16):2164.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

Three case reports^1-3 on iatrogenic injuries in a single recent issue may be coincidental, but they certainly catch the eye of a longtime iatrogenic-complication watcher like myself. While iatrogenic mishaps are often unusual, even piquant, the "message" of a single case report, though important, is usually limited. A systematic study of iatrogenic afflictions is, however, more instructive, and recent clinical literature does indeed try to define predisposing factors, possible mechanisms, and general safeguards.

From a long interest in iatrogenic problems in surgical patients,^4,5 we have made some observations that cannot always be documented in a scientific manner, yet may be important in the attempt to cut down on the incidence of iatrogenic complications. For instance, we have noticed that an error in judgment or an unindicated procedure appear more likely to lead to an iatrogenic complication, and there is a tendency for this to happen . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Footnotes
Edited by Drummond Rennie, MD, Senior Contributing Editor; Sharon Iverson, Assistant Editor.

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