contraindication

noun

con·​tra·​in·​di·​ca·​tion ˌkän-trə-ˌin-də-ˈkā-shən 

: something (such as a symptom or condition) that makes a particular treatment or procedure inadvisable

Did you know?

For doctors, an indication is a symptom or circumstance that makes a particular medical treatment desirable. Serious anxiety, for example, is often an indication for prescribing a tranquilizer. A contraindication, then, is a symptom or condition that makes a treatment risky, such as taking certain other medications at the same time. Drugs and conditions that are contraindicated for a medication are listed on its label, and reeled off at high speed in TV ads. Patients can guard against the dangers of drug interaction by reading labels carefully and making sure their doctors know what else they're currently taking.

Examples of contraindication in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Heed drug warnings and contraindications for the best results. —Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 1 Dec. 2024

The person with the heart attack has no contraindications to thrombolytic therapy (e.g., active bleeding). —Christopher Lee, Verywell Health, 10 Oct. 2024

In evaluations, the model demonstrated significant improvements over existing methods, achieving up to 49.2% higher prediction accuracy for indications and 35.1% higher accuracy to identify contraindications. —Greg Licholai Md, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024

The vaccine has more side effects and contraindications than Jynneos. —Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 8 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1623, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

contraindication

noun

con·​tra·​in·​di·​ca·​tion -ˌin-də-ˈkā-shən 

: something (as a symptom or condition) that makes a particular treatment or procedure inadvisable