Complicationremain

Complicationremain is a term used in clinical quality assessment to describe the persistence of a previously identified complication at a defined follow-up point after an intervention. It captures whether a complication has remained unresolved or recurred, rather than merely whether it occurred initially. The term blends complication with remain to emphasize ongoing status of the issue. In practice, complicationremain is used in surgical outcomes, infectious disease management, and chronic disease care to gauge the effectiveness of treatment pathways and post-treatment care.

Measurement and interpretation: Complicationremain is typically defined within a specific follow-up window, such as 30 or 90 days after an intervention. The complicationremain rate is the proportion of patients who still have the complication at the follow-up point, among those who initially developed it, or among all treated patients if appropriate. Time-to-remain analyses can be conducted using survival methods to estimate persistence duration. Data are drawn from medical records, registries, and patient-reported outcomes. Higher rates may indicate incomplete resolution of the complication, inadequate treatment, poor adherence, or persistent risk factors.

Examples: Persistent surgical-site infection at 14 days, continuing edema after a therapy for lymphedema, or a postoperative arrhythmia that remains after discharge.

Limitations: Definitions of what counts as a complication and what counts as remained vary across settings, as do detection and reporting practices. Comparability requires standardized definitions and consistent follow-up.