Clinical Attribute
precipitating factor
Subclass of:
Etiology
Definitions related to precipitating factors:
  • (trigger) Anything that can set off symptoms.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • The factor that causes or triggers the onset of an occurrence.
    CDISC Terminology
    Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC), 2021
  • The factor(s) that cause or trigger the onset of an occurrence.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Factors associated with the definitive onset of a disease, illness, accident, behavioral response, or course of action. Usually one factor is more important or more obviously recognizable than others, if several are involved, and one may often be regarded as necessary. Examples include exposure to specific disease; amount or level of an infectious organism, drug, or noxious agent, etc.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.