What does pyaemia mean?
Pyaemia is a medical term for the presence of bacteria or pus in the bloodstream. It is usually a complication of a serious infection, such as an infected wound, an abscess, or an infection following childbirth, and can lead to sepsis or shock. Historically, the word was widely used in medicine and in accounts of infectious disease. In contemporary clinical language, “bloodstream infection” is often the clearest description, while “sepsis” refers more broadly to life-threatening organ dysfunction resulting from infection. Pyaemia nevertheless remains useful as a precise historical term and as a reminder that infections can spread through the blood. Its unusual spelling reflects a traditional British rendering of the Greek roots for “pus” and “blood.”
nounPyaemia is the medical condition of having pus or its bacteria circulating in the blood, usually as a result of a severe infection. The term is now largely replaced by the more specific term bloodstream infection or sepsis in modern clinical usage.
- The presence of bacteria or pus in the bloodstream, typically resulting from an infection elsewhere in the body.
"The doctor warned that the infected wound could lead to pyaemia if it was not treated promptly."
"An untreated bacterial infection can sometimes develop into pyaemia."
"Historical accounts of pyaemia described the rapid decline that followed severe wounds or childbirth infections."
The plural is rarely needed because the term is now chiefly historical or literary.
"Several forms of pyaemias were described by nineteenth-century physicians."
From the Greek words for “pus” and “blood,” pyaemia names one of the most dangerous complications of infection.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pyaemia come from?
Pyaemia comes from New Latin, formed from the Greek roots pyon, meaning “pus,” and haima, meaning “blood.” The term entered English in the nineteenth century as medicine developed a more precise understanding of infection and the circulation of microorganisms through the bloodstream. It is a spelling variant of the American form pyemia.
How pyaemia is actually used
The term is formal and chiefly historical or literary in modern usage. It should not be used as a general synonym for any infection of the blood, since contemporary medicine distinguishes bloodstream infection, sepsis, and septicaemia according to the specific condition and clinical findings.
Easily confused with pyaemia
Pyemia is the American spelling of the same word; pyaemia is the traditional British spelling.
Sepsis is the modern, broader term for life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by infection, whereas pyaemia specifically refers to infective material circulating in the blood.