Contraindication

A condition or circumstance in which a treatment should not be used because its risks outweigh its expected benefits. Contraindications may be absolute or relative.

Absolute contraindication: A condition that makes a particular treatment unacceptable because its potential harm is too great. This is the clearest case: the treatment should not be used under the specified condition.
Pregnancy category: A classification system describing potential risks of medicines used during pregnancy. Pregnancy can alter whether a medicine is appropriate, though contemporary guidance favors drug-specific evidence over letter categories.
Indication: A condition or circumstance that provides a reason to use a particular treatment. An indication supports treatment, whereas a contraindication argues against it.
Medication error: A preventable mistake in prescribing, dispensing, or administering a medicine that may cause harm. Overlooking a contraindication can turn a prescribing decision into a preventable medication error.
Relative contraindication: A condition that increases treatment risk but may be outweighed by expected benefit in some circumstances. Unlike an absolute contraindication, this calls for weighing the patient's risks against likely benefit.
Drug label: An official document describing a medicine's indications, risks, dosage, and safe use. Contraindications are stated in prescribing information to guide treatment decisions.
Precaution: A condition requiring special care because a treatment may pose added risk. A precaution calls for careful assessment or monitoring, not necessarily avoidance.
Pharmacovigilance: The monitoring and assessment of medicine safety after products enter use. Safety reports can reveal harms that lead to new contraindications or revised guidance.
Adverse effect: An unintended harmful outcome caused by a medicine or other intervention. Potential adverse effects help determine whether a condition makes a treatment contraindicated.
Preoperative assessment: An evaluation of a patient's health and risks before surgery or anesthesia. It identifies conditions that may make a planned procedure or anesthetic unsafe.

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