Definitions and selected examples of events
| Adverse event |
| Definition: An injury, with varying possible levels of harm, which may result from medical management or patient self-management |
| Examples |
| Polyuria and polydipsia from severe hyperglycaemia. Patient ran out of insulin because he was told to increase dose at prior visit but was not given a new prescription. |
| Periodic hypoglycaemia; patient gets sweaty and shaky with midday exercise |
| Potential adverse event |
| Definition: An unsafe state, not currently an event, but likely to lead to an event if it persists without intervention |
| Examples |
| Despite physician prescription, pharmacy does not dispense correct glucometre strips because of formulary change. Patient unable to check glucose and continues to administer insulin in the absence of any monitoring. |
| Patient with chronic kidney disease (asymptomatic) taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs despite instruction to discontinue. |