Which of the following is an unexpected occurrence that involves physiologic or psychologic injury or death?

The term that describes an unexpected occurrence involving physiologic or psychologic injury or death is a sentinel event. Sentinel events are significant medical errors or mishaps that prompt immediate investigation and response due to their severe implications for patient safety. The "sentinel" aspect emphasizes that such occurrences signal the need for intervention to prevent future incidents and improve patient care.

In a healthcare context, sentinel events can include specific incidents such as wrong-site surgery, medication errors resulting in harm, or patient suicides while under care. These events serve as critical indicators for healthcare organizations to assess their processes and protocols to enhance safety measures.

The other terms refer to different legal and ethical concepts. For example, unintentional tort and negligence relate to wrongful acts that result in harm due to a failure to exercise reasonable care but do not inherently describe the unexpected nature or the related response in the context of patient safety that sentinel events do. Malpractice specifically refers to professional negligence by a healthcare provider that leads to substandard care and patient harm, which can be a result of a sentinel event but does not encompass the broader definition of unexpected occurrences as directly.