1. a serious medical condition in which pus-forming bacteria enter the bloodstream and form abscesses in various parts of the body
Usage: medical term; also spelled pyaemia in British English

Examples

• The patient developed pyemia after the surgical wound became infected.
• Pyemia was a common cause of death before the advent of antibiotics.
• Doctors diagnosed pyemia when bacteria were found in the patient's blood cultures.
• Without prompt treatment, pyemia can lead to organ failure and death.
• The infection progressed to pyemia, causing abscesses in the lungs and liver.