What does septicemia mean?
Septicemia is a potentially fatal condition in which infectious organisms, especially bacteria, enter and circulate in the bloodstream. Once commonly called blood poisoning, it is now understood as a specific form of sepsis, the body's systemic response to infection that may cause organ damage, shock, and death. The term remains familiar in general and historical writing, although medical professionals often prefer the broader term sepsis. Septicemia can result from an infection spreading from a wound or another part of the body, and its symptoms may include fever, chills, rapid breathing, confusion, and low blood pressure. Prompt treatment with antibiotics and supportive care is essential. Although the condition is now approached as part of the wider clinical category of sepsis, the older name remains useful for identifying the characteristic bloodstream infection.
nounA condition in which infectious organisms, especially bacteria, circulate in the blood. It is a potentially life-threatening form of sepsis and is also called blood poisoning.
- The presence of infectious organisms, particularly bacteria, in the bloodstream, causing systemic illness and potentially organ failure or shock.
"Early antibiotic treatment greatly improved the patient's chances of recovering from septicemia."
"The child was treated in intensive care after developing septicemia."
"Doctors warned that the infected wound could lead to septicemia if it was not properly treated."
The plural is used when referring to separate cases of the condition.
"The medical report described several septicemias caused by the same contaminated instrument."
Septicemia once meant the poisoning of the blood itself; modern medicine understands it more precisely as an infection spreading through the bloodstream.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does septicemia come from?
Septicemia was formed in the 19th century from Greek roots meaning "putrefaction" or "sepsis" and "blood." Its components also underlie the related medical terms sepsis and septic, all of which developed from the notion of contamination or decay within the body.
How septicemia is actually used
In British usage, the spelling "septicaemia" is more common. In modern clinical medicine, "sepsis" is the broader and often preferred term for infection associated with a dysregulated bodily response and organ dysfunction. Septicemia is an older term that continues in general usage for bloodstream infection.
Easily confused with septicemia
Septicemia specifically refers to infectious organisms entering the bloodstream, whereas sepsis more broadly denotes the body's systemic response to infection, which can cause organ dysfunction and shock.