Word
sepsis
Phoneticssep·sis
US/ˈsɛpsɪs/
UK/sˈɛpsɪs/
Definition
n. a very dangerous reaction your body has to an infection. It happens when your immune system attacks your own organs while trying to fight off germs.
n. a life-threatening systemic inflammatory response syndrome triggered by an infection. Characterised by organ dysfunction resulting from a dysregulated host response to pathogens.
Examples
“The patient was rushed to the hospital with signs of sepsis.”
“Early diagnosis of sepsis is critical because the condition can lead to rapid organ failure if not treated with antibiotics immediately.”
“Medical professionals are trained to monitor for the clinical markers of sepsis, as the transition from a localized infection to a systemic crisis can occur with alarming speed.”
Examples
simple
“The patient was rushed to the hospital with signs of sepsis.”
contextual
“Early diagnosis of sepsis is critical because the condition can lead to rapid organ failure if not treated with antibiotics immediately.”
complex
“Medical professionals are trained to monitor for the clinical markers of sepsis, as the transition from a localized infection to a systemic crisis can occur with alarming speed.”
Usage
Typically used in medical contexts; often follows verbs like 'develop' or 'prevent'.
Real-World Examples
Common in health writing
“MenB infection can cause serious, life-threatening problems including inflammation of the lining of the brain (meningitis) and blood poisoning (sepsis).” “It can lead to blood poisoning or sepsis, and can affect the brain.” Etymology
coined by Hippocrates From Ancient Greek σῆψις (sêpsis, “putrefaction”), from σήπειν (sḗpein, “to make rotten”), from σήψ (sḗps, “a kind of lizard; also a kind of serpent whose bite was alleged to cause putrefaction”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/sepsis