Bacteraemia

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The presence of bacteria in the bloodstream causing potential infection and systemic illness
2. A medical condition characterized by bacteria circulating within blood vessels, which may lead to serious health complications
3. The state in which live bacteria are detected in the blood, often signaling infection and requiring clinical attention

Etymology: Bacteraemia is a construction built from two parts: "bacter-", from the Greek "baktērion", meaning "little staff" or "small rod", the shape of many bacteria, and "-aemia", from the Greek "haima", meaning "blood". Put together, the term literally names the presence of bacteria in the blood, so the word describes a condition rather than a disease. Its meaning is fixed by its parts, which is why a single letter in the Greek-derived stem, "ae" in "-aemia" versus "e" in "-emia", reflects the British spelling convention still used in many English-speaking countries. A bacteraemia is typically detected by drawing a blood sample and culturing it in a laboratory, so the word names a finding that is confirmed through testing. Because the bloodstream carries germs throughout the body, the presence of live bacteria there is a signal that clinicians treat seriously, and the word is used to label that finding in medical notes and reports.

Synonyms: bacteremia, blood infection, septicemia, sepsis