Septic (pronounced septik, from Greek sepein = to rot, putrefy), literally means rotten.

In medicine, a term septic may have different meanings:

1. Septic - contaminated by microbes, as opposed to aseptic – microbes free, sterile.
2. Septic system, including septic tank, is a system for wastewater and sewage disposal.
3. Septic infection is an infection with localized pus collection in particular organ. Examples are septic wound, septic arthritis, septic meningitis, septic pleural effusion, etc.
4. Septicemia may, to some, mean bacteremia, and to others sepsis, what may be quite confusing, so finding out exact meaning of septicemia from the context of particular health text is important.
5. Sepsis or blood infection is a serious health condition, in which microbes invade the blood (usually from existing severe infection, like pneumonia) and trigger high fever, rapid breathing and heartbeat.
6. Septic shock is a life threatening condition with a sudden, severe drop in blood pressure during sepsis. 

Septicemia Is Not Clearly Defined

A term septicemia may cause a lot of confusion; for some it refers to bacteremia (presence of bacteria in the bloodstream) and for others it refers to sepsis (bacteremia + blood inflammation). Since a term septicemia is still widely used, a reader should be aware of its two possible meanings in different health articles.

Blood Poisoning Is Not An Appropriate Term

To ad to the confusion, a term blood poisoning is often used as a synonym for septicemia (or sepsis). Poisoning can be caused by substances other than those released by microbes, while sepsis is always caused by microbes, so a term blood infection is preferable as an informal name for sepsis.

Bacteremia – Definition

Bacteremia (from bacteria + Latin suffix -emia = blood related) is the presence of the bacteria in the bloodstream (1).

Bacteremia is not the same as septicemia (sepsis), which is bacteremia accompanied with an inflammation in the blood.

Both Gram-positive bacteria, like staphylococci or streptococci, or Gram-negative bacteria, like Bacteroides, may be involved in bacteremia.

continue reading What Is Bacteremia – Causes and Symptoms