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Diseases » Sepsis » Glossary

Glossary for Sepsis

Abscess: General name for any pus-filled lump or swelling
Acute Appendicitis: Infection of the appendix
Anaphylaxis: A rare, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.
Bacteremia: A condition where there is the presence of bacteria in the blood
Bacterial diseases: Diseases caused by a bacterial infection
Birth Injury: An injury to the mother caused by childbirth
Blood infection:
Brain conditions: Medical conditions that affect the brain
Campylobacter fetus infection: Campylobacter fetus is a food borne bacterial infection which may vary in severity from mild to severe. The bacteria are opportunistic and mainly affect debilitated patients but can also occur in healthy patients. Abortion due to blood infection in the fetus can occur in pregnant women who become infected. The infection is less likely to cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea than other Campylobacter infections but is prone to causing infection in other parts of the body such as the appendix, abdominal cavity, central nervous system (meningitis), gallbladder, urinary tract and blood stream. Cattle and sheep are the main source of this bacteria.
Cardiogenic shock: an inadequate circulation of blood due to primary failure of the ventricles of the heart to function effectively
Caroli Disease: A rare disorder where the bile ducts inside the liver become enlarged resulting in infection, irritation and gallstone formation.
Chills: Excessive feeling of coldness.
Cholangitis: bile duct inflammation (cholangitis)
Colchicine toxicity: The toxic reaction of the body to the substance, possibly via allergic reaction or overdose.
Cold & Flu:
Congenital megalo-ureter: A birth defect where the ureter is abnormally dilated due to a structural obstruction of the end portion of the ureter.
Congenital microvillous atrophy: A birth disorder involving a defect in the cells lining the intestines which results in watery diarrhea from birth which can be life threatening if not treated.
Corticobasal Degeneration: A rare progressive neurological disorder where parts of the brain deteriorate.
Deal-Barratt-Dillon syndrome: A very rare syndrome characterized mainly by scaly skin, jaundice, diarrhea and Fanconi syndrome (bone marrow fails to make sufficient new blood cells).
Ectopic pregnancy: A condition where a fertilized egg embeds itself outside the uterus.
Fanconi-ichthyosis-dysmorphism: A very rare syndrome characterized by scaly skin (ichthyosis), anemia, muscle anomalies and various other abnormalities. All six reported cases died within 6 months.
Febrile Ulceronecrotic Mucha-Habermann disease: A very rare skin disease characterized by bleeding skin ulcers and fever. There is no obvious cause of the condition. The skin ulcers spread and can cover most of the body. Sepsis and death is more likely in adults.
Fever: Elevation of the body temperature above the normal 37 degrees celsius
Flavimonas oryzihabitans: A very rare bacterial infection that is most likely to occur in immunocompromised patients or through the use of catheters. Flavimonas oryzihabitans was previous known as Pseudomonas oryzihabitans.
Francisella tularenis infection: Francisella tularenis is a type of bacteria that can cause infection involving the skin, respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. The nature and severity of symptoms varies depending on the location of the infection. The bacteria primarily causes localized tissue necrosis. The pathogen is considered a possible biological weapon.
Fungemia: The presence of fungi in the blood. Most commonly occurs in people with a compromised immune system. Other risk factors include dialysis, burns, diabetes and use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and steroids. The severity of symptoms is variable.
Group B Streptococcal Infections: "Strep" bacteria that may affect newborns and the immune-compromised; compare strep A.
Hematochromatosis: Hemochromatosis is the abnormal accumulation of iron in parenchymal organs, leading to organ toxicity. It is the most common inherited liver disease in whites and the most common autosomal recessive genetic disorder.
Hemophilus influenzae B: Bacterial respiratory infection with dangerous complications.
Histoplasmosis: Lung infection from fungus Histoplasma capsulatum
Hypotension: Blood pressure that is too low
Iron poisoning: Excessive ingestion of iron - often occurs when children ingest adult iron tablets.
Listeriosis: Bacterial food poisoning
Malignant Jaundice: Jaundice due to an obstruction or blockage in one of the bile ducts by a tumor. Bile ducts are vessels which carry bile from the liver to the digestive system or gallbladder.
Mountain sickness: Illness from poor adjustment to low oxygen at altitude.
Myalgia: Muscle aches and pains
Necrotizing enterocolitis: A rare disease that is tends to occur in premature infants and involves inflammation and destruction of gastrointestinal tissue. It usually occurs within weeks of birth - often after the start of milk feeding. The condition can be extremely serious and even fatal.
Neonatal sepsis: Bacterial blood infection in an infant under 3 months of age.
Noma: A rare disorder characterized by gangrenous sores that spread rapidly and usually start in the mouth or lips. It mostly occurs in undernourished children living in poor, unhygienic conditions.
Obstructive biliary disease: A disease process that causes obstruction or blockage in one of the bile ducts which are vessels that carry bile from the liver to the digestive system or gallbladder. Diseases that can cause such obstructions includes tumors, gallstones, parasites, bile duct inflammation, trauma to the bile duct and biliary strictures.
Pancreatic abscess: A localized pus-filled cavity (abscess) in the pancreas which usually occurs after pancreatitis. Death can occur if the abscess is not drained.
Plague: A rare but serious bacterial infection involving the bacterium Yersinia Pestis which can be carried by rodents and transmitted to humans by flea bites or through direct contact with an infected animal.
Pyomyositis: A bacterial infection of the muscles caused by Staphylococcus aureus. It occurs in tropical areas and people with weak immune systems are the most vulnerable.
Rocephin - Teratogenic Agent: There is evidence to indicate that exposure to Rocephin (an antibiotic) during pregnancy may have a teratogenic effect on the fetus. A teratogen is a substance that can cause birth defects. The likelihood and severity of defects may be affected by the level of exposure and the stage of pregnancy that the exposure occurred at.
SCID: Major failure of the immune system, usually genetic.
Septicemia: A systemic inflammatory response to an infection.
Sickle Cell Anemia: Sickle cell anemia is an inherited blood disorder characterized by red blood cells which are crescent-shaped rather than the normal doughnut shape. These abnormally shaped red blood cells are unable to function normally and tend to undergo premature destruction which leads to anemia. If the genetic defect which causes the condition is inherited from both parents the condition can be quite severe whereas if it is inherited from only one parent, often there are no symptoms. The abnormally shaped red blood cells can cause problems when they clump together and block blood vessels.
Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome, type 2: A rare genetic disorder characterized by hydrops fetalis and various other severe abnormalities. The condition usually results in death within two months of birth.
Streptococcal Infections: Various "strep" bacterial infections.
Subphrenic abscess: A pus-filled cavity in the subphrenic region which is the area below the diaphragm but above the colon and liver. The infection can occur as a complication of abdominal surgery, acute pancreatitis and trauma.
Tachycardia: Excessively rapid heart beat.
Tissue destruction: destruction of the tissues is seen in conditions such as
Toxic Shock Syndrome: Severe immune reaction causing shock
Toxic epidermal necrolysis: A skin condition causing widespread blisters to erupt over greater than 30% of the body.
Viremia: The presence of a virus in the bloodstream. The symptoms will depend on the type of virus involved. Some viruses cause no symptoms.
Waterhouse-Friederichsen syndrome: A rare syndrome that occurs as complication of septicemia (often due to meningococcal or pneumococcal infection) and involves blood coagulation in blood vessels, adrenal gland hemorrhages and ultimately kidney failure.