ARRT Patient Care Practice Exam

An iatrogenic infection is one caused by:

1. physician intervention

2. blood-borne pathogens

3. chemotherapy

4. infected droplets

The correct answer is: physician intervention

An iatrogenic infection is specifically linked to medical interventions or treatments provided by healthcare professionals, which includes procedures performed by physicians. This type of infection can occur as a result of surgical procedures, diagnostic tests, or other interventions where there may be exposure to pathogens. When a healthcare provider introduces bacteria or viruses into a patient’s body through invasive procedures, or if a procedure inadvertently compromises the body's natural defenses, the infection that develops is classified as iatrogenic. On the other hand, while options like chemotherapy and blood-borne pathogens may result in infections, they are not classified as iatrogenic by definition. Chemotherapy is a treatment that can weaken the immune system and increase susceptibility to infections, but it is not an infection itself. Blood-borne pathogens refer to infections transmitted through blood, not necessarily linked to a specific medical procedure performed by a provider. Lastly, infected droplets pertain to the transmission of infections through airborne particles, not specifically through medical intervention. Thus, the focus on physician intervention emphasizes the relationship between the healthcare provider's actions and the resulting infection.