Complication

This article refers to complications in connection with genital mutilation. The text is adapted from the (German) DocCheck Flexikon.

Definition

In medicine, a complication is the undesired development or the unexpectedly difficult course of a disease, trauma or therapy. Complications are therefore secondary events.

In relation to drug therapy, the term "side effect" is used rather than "complication".

Background

Complications of a disease can arise from many different mechanisms, for example through

• spread of inflammatory processes (e.g. septicemia in an abscess);
• bleeding complications (e.g. with anticoagulation);
• dysregulation (e.g. shock);
• chronic tissue damage (e.g. neuropathy in diabetes mellitus).

In the case of invasive interventions in the human body, complications are frequent and must be communicated to the patient as part of the patient education.

Classification

• Early complication: Short time between the triggering event and the occurrence of the complication
• Late complication: Long time lag between the triggering event and the occurrence of the complication