Final answer:
The term 'Septicemia' or 'sepsis' specifically describes a bloodstream infection. It's a condition where bacteria are reproducing and spreading within the blood, which could lead to severe complications like septic shock and death if not treated promptly.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bloodstream Infection Terminology
The word that describes a blood stream infection is Septicemia or sepsis. This is a serious condition where bacteria are reproducing in the blood and spreading rapidly throughout the body. If not addressed promptly, it can lead to septic shock, which is characterized by an overwhelming immune and inflammatory response, causing dangerously low blood pressure, blood clotting, organ failure, and potentially death. It's important to distinguish this from other conditions mentioned such as anemia, which is a lack of red blood cells or hemoglobin, meningitis, which is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, pneumonia, which affects the lungs, and retinitis, which pertains to the retina of the eye.
Vasculitis is the term that refers to an inflammation of the blood vessels. Microbial infections like bacterial infections of the circulatory and lymphatic systems can be devastating if they are left untreated. Infections such as malaria, caused by protozoan parasites, and bacteremia, referring to bacteria present in the blood, also pose serious health threats.