Indication (medicine)

The medical term indication (syn. therapeutic indication ) derives from Latin indicare ( = show ' ) from. It is basically for which medical intervention is appropriate for a certain disease and is to be used: In clinical picture, X ' is the salvation process, Y' indexed, so appropriate. ( " Disease " is not a synonym for use with diagnosis, but includes the overall health of a patient. Administrative, ideological, financial, legal or other non- medical reasons is the term indication in its fundamental importance not expire. )

The term is often found in connection with operations, then one speaks of surgical indication.

Gradation

In clinical practice, the following gradation has naturalized ( the transitions are fluid ):

• Emergency Indication: life-threatening, acute disease acute need of life-saving measure (eg emergency surgery for acute life-threatening bleeding after trauma - in this case death would be without medical intervention can be expected immediately ).
• Vitale indication: life-threatening disease requires life-saving measure (eg, heart surgery at a transposition of the great vessels - in this case death would be expected without a doctor's intervention, since disease at the latest after a few months leading to death ).
• Absolute indication: a disease requires appropriate treatment in order to minimize negative effects on the health of a patient as low as possible (eg, crossectomy and Exhairese the great saphenous vein at saphenous vein insufficiency IV ° Hach - here: the life and quality of life of the patient are foreseeable by placing an increased incidence of thromboembolism and an endangered usually progression of the disease ).
• Relative indications: a measure is advantageous in a relevant disease for a patient, but not absolutely necessary (eg, surgical removal of a Sehnenscheidenhygroms - here: The hygroma is annoying, can be larger and affected patients may in its quality of life).
• No indication: a measure is not displayed for a corresponding disease because it promises no benefit to a patient ( eg, beta-blockers ( low dose) during Urinary Tract Infection - here: from beta-blockers no improvement of the clinical picture is to be expected).
• Contraindication: a measure is not displayed for a corresponding disease, as drawbacks for a patient to be expected (eg, beta block transfer while playing Verapamiltherapie - here: In the illustrated case of extreme heart failure would even be possible ).
• Causative indication: a measure is shown to be the cause of a disease ( eg Abszessbehandlung in sepsis - here: The abscess is the cause of blood poisoning).
• Symptom -related indication: a measure is shown to be a symptom of a disease ( eg analgesia in osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture - here: The painkiller although it has no impact on the underlying disease, yet the course of fracture healing, but is associated with it because of the patient possibly debilitating pain necessary).
• Diagnosis -related indication: a measure is shown to be a single diagnosis in the context of a disease ( eg vitamin B12 injection due to hyperchromic, macrocytic anemia associated with autoimmune gastritis - here: The vitamin may improve the anemia that occurs in the context of inflammation. ).