Meanings
comparative more iatropic · superlative most iatropic
- medicineCausing a patient to need medical attention, especially when caused by a medical treatment.
Antihypertensive agents also are considered to contribute to dialysis hypotension through vasodilation, negative iatropic effects on the heart, or both.
2005 January, Atsushi Takeda, Takayuki Toda, Takuma Fujii, Shinsuke Shinohara, Sei Sasaki, Noriaki Matsui, “Discordance of influence of hypertension on mortality and cardiovascular risk in hemodialysis patients”, in American Journal of Kidney Diseases, volume 45, number 12 more examples
If not, was it casually discovered by the patient or by a physician in the course of an examination? If the latter, inquire carefully as to secondary iatropic factors.
1987, Hiram C. Polk, H. Harlan Stone, Bernard Gardner, Basic Surgery, page 409This latter effect is analogous to the problem of iatropic illness in medicine, in which treatment for one condition inadvertently induces another illness or problem.
1996, ASME Technical Papers, page 345 - broadlyPertaining to professional attention or opinions that cause the need for further professional attention or opinions.
Second, the very act of maintenance, even when performed correctly often induces problems in previously functioning machinery (so-called iatropic maintenance problems) .
2002, D.L. Hall, “Intelligent monitoring of complex systems”, in Advances in Intelligent Systems for Defence2 more examples
Further, study of reference sources will give insight into iatropic problems, (i.e., Different professionals see the same situation from different viewpoints and may therefore draw different conclusions.)
1980, Proceedings of International Computer Symposium 1980One wonders on the other hand if this is not an iatropic problem in that the original theory of plate tectonics is not in some way askew and that the unbending is really not necessary to explain because that is the way it ought to be in any case.
1981, Applied Mechanics Reviews - Volume 34, page 1365
Origin
From iatro- + -tropic, with haplology.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
iatropic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/iatropic
“iatropic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/iatropic. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “iatropic,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/iatropic.
Source: iatropic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.