Definition

Noun: - A serious, systemic bacterial infection that can occur in a person after childbirth or abortion, historically often fatal and linked to unsanitary medical conditions. It is now rare in developed countries due to modern antiseptic and antibiotic practices.

Usage

This is a medical term. It is used specifically to describe a postpartum infection of the reproductive tract that becomes generalized (septicemia). - The introduction of handwashing by doctors dramatically reduced the incidence of puerperal fever in maternity wards. - Before the widespread use of antibiotics, puerperal fever was a leading cause of maternal mortality.

Advanced Usage

• "Childbed fever": This is a historical and synonymous term for puerperal fever.
  • In the 19th century, Ignaz Semmelweis fought to convince his colleagues that childbed fever was caused by contaminated hands.

Variants and Related Words

• Puerperal (adjective): Relating to or connected with childbirth.
  • The patient was monitored for puerperal complications.
• Sepsis (noun): A life-threatening condition caused by the body's extreme response to an infection.
• Septicemia (noun): Blood poisoning, especially that caused by bacteria.

Synonyms

• Childbed fever
• Postpartum sepsis
• Puerperal sepsis

Noun

1. serious form of septicemia contracted by a woman during childbirth or abortion (usually attributable to unsanitary conditions); formerly widespread but now uncommon