overtreat

English

Etymology

From over- +‎ treat.

Verb

overtreat (third-person singular simple present overtreats, present participle overtreating, simple past and past participle overtreated)

1. (medicine, transitive) To subject to excessive medical treatment, often to such an extent as to cause adverse effects.

   Coordinate term: undertreat

   • 1977 February 12, Bruce Michael Gelbert, “Some New York Alternatives”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 33, page 5:

     The traditional physician in Astoria who overtreated me for a case of syphilis six and a half years ago to the tune of twelve penicillin shots plus three weeks' worth of penicillin pills.

   • 2002, Anthony L. McCall, “Insulin Therapy and Hypoglycemia”, in Insulin Therapy‎^[1], →ISBN, page 217:

     Also, overtreated patients become more insulin-resistant, and this gradually reverses as insulin doses are reduced.

Derived terms

• overtreatment

Translations

to subject to excessive medical treatment

• Finnish: ylihoitaa
• Hungarian: túlkezel
• Polish: leczyć nadmiernie impf

See also

• overkill