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To the Editor: Unintended injuries are the fourth most frequent cause of death in the United States and the most likely cause of death in persons younger than 34 years old.¹ Yet the public media and, too frequently, some medical journal articles² continue to describe unintended injuries, such as those related to incorrect doses of medication, using the word accident in various forms, eg, accidental injection, accidents in medicine, future accidents, and responding to accidents.

What is reprehensible about using the word accident? A recently published dictionary defines it first in terms of an unexpected, undesirable event or an unforeseen incident.³ The word's second meaning refers to "a lack of intention, a chance event." A third meaning, in logic, has to do with an unessential circumstance or attribute. It is the second meaning, having to do with an event's occurring by chance or at random, . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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