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Iatrogenic nerve injuries undoubtedly have occurred since antiquity, beginning soon after the treatment of human injuries and afflictions evolved into a profession. It is inconceivable, for example, that during the Hippocrates era many brac hial plexus injuries did not result from the violent methods used to reduce shoulder dislocations. Nonetheless, little information in accessible concerning their (1) overall incidence among peripheral nervous system (PNS) lesions and (2) relative inciden ce among the general category of iatrogenic disorders. The fragmentary data available, however, suggest that these lesions occur in more than minuscule numbers. Thus, among 2000 patients who had major peripheral nerve injuries seen at two hospitals in E ngland over a 7-year period, nearly 200 (10%) were "the result of medical treatment." In regard to brachial plexopathies, for which there are some comparative data, in two large series 7.4% and 9.5% were iatrogenic in nature. |
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