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Definitions abound in the medical error and patient safety literature, with subtle and not-so-subtle variations in the meanings of important terms. We have tried to adopt the most straightforward terminology, with definitions that enjoy the widest use.
Adverse Event: Any injury caused by medical care. Examples: pneumothorax from central venous catheter placement anaphylaxis to penicillin postoperative wound infection hospital-acquired delirium (or "sun downing") in elderly patients Identifying something as an adverse event does not imply "error," "negligence," or poor quality care. It simply indicates that an undesirable clinical outcome resulted from some aspect of diagnosis or therapy, not an underlying disease process. Thus, pneumothorax from central venous catheter placement counts as an adverse event regardless of insertion technique. Similarly, postoperative wound infections count as adverse events even if the operation proceeded with optimal adherence to sterile procedures, the patient received appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis in the peri-operative setting, and so on. (See also iatrogenic)
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