Which of the following is a typical example of a short-term outcome?

• A. Fracture within years
• B. Cancer diagnosed months later
• C. Bleeding
• D. Hospitalization years after surgery

Answer: (C)

Short-term outcomes are adverse events that happen soon after an exposure or index event, typically within hours to days. Bleeding is a classic acute complication that can occur immediately after trauma or surgery, so it fits the short-term window. The other examples imply longer time frames: a fracture developing over years is a long-term outcome, cancer diagnosed months later involves disease progression over months rather than immediately, and hospitalization years after surgery is clearly a long-term outcome. So bleeding is the best example of a short-term outcome.