Indication

Indication is a term used in medicine to refer to the reason or justification for the use of a particular treatment, medication, procedure, or diagnostic test. It may be based on a diagnosed medical condition or on the prediction of a potential health risk in an individual patient.

Definition

An Indication in medicine is a valid reason to use a certain test, medication, procedure, or surgery. The opposite of an indication is a Contraindication.

Types of Indications

There are two types of indications: Absolute indication and Relative indication. An absolute indication is when a procedure or treatment is the only option for the patient, while a relative indication means that the procedure or treatment is one of several options.

Examples

Some examples of indications for various treatments include:

• Pain is an indication for pain relief medications.
• Infection is an indication for antibiotics.
• Fracture is an indication for casting or surgery.

See also

• Contraindication
• Medical prescription
• Therapeutic index