Iatrogenic disease is a condition induced by a drug prescribed by a physician, after a medical or surgical procedure (excluding intentional overdose, non-medical intervention) unauthorized prescription, and environmental events (eg, falls, defective equipment). It can result in complications or side effects such as nutritional deficiencies or excesses, infections, or abnormal immune reactions.
Deeper dive
These diseases are an increasingly important subgroup since powerful drugs often have undesirable side effects, either predictably in a dose-dependent fashion or in an unpredictable idiosyncratic manner . Since elderly patients generally have more comorbidities than their younger counterparts, they are more likely to be prescribed multiple medications; consequently, physiological changes in immune response, alterations in excretion and absorption of drugs make them more susceptible to iatrogenic diseases. Studies show taking multiple drugs concurrently and having multiple chronic diseases markedly increases the risk of adverse drug–drug or drug–disease interactions.