1. A serious medical condition caused by the presence of pus-forming bacteria in the bloodstream, typically resulting from an infection that has spread from a localized source.
Usage: medical term; also spelled pyemia in U.S. English; historically significant as a major cause of death before antibiotics

Examples

• The patient developed pyaemia after the infected wound was left untreated for several days.
• Before modern antibiotics, pyaemia was a common and often fatal complication of surgery.
• Doctors recognized the signs of pyaemia when bacteria from the abscess entered the patient's bloodstream.
• Pyaemia can cause fever, chills, and the formation of abscesses in various organs.
• Early detection and aggressive antibiotic treatment are essential to prevent pyaemia from becoming life-threatening.