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For those who want to know what 'iatrogenic' means prior to dipping further into this thread: "Induced unintentionally in a patient by a physician. Used especially of an infection or other complication of treatment."

Basically: is it causing the very thing the intervention is intended to help.

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At the risk of nitpicking: iatrogensis isn't confined to the very thing the intervention intends to address; it can be any condition induced at the cost of treatment.

Blinding a patient during eye surgery to remove a tumor is an iatrogenic outcome, for example.

Would that also include side affects from medications?

Yes. Iatrogenesis doesn't imply an overall negative outcome: livesaving medications and treatments can have iatrogenic consequences that are outweighed by their intended, positive ones (or vice versa).

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