Toxemia

1. the condition resulting from the spread of bacterial products (toxins) by the bloodstream.
2. a condition resulting from metabolic disturbances.
Clinically there is depression, lethargy, separation from the group, reduced appetite, slow growth, poor production, low fecal output, weak pulse of normal rate, hemic murmur, weakness, albuminuria. There may be localizing signs such as pressure by an abscess. See also toxemic shock.

• alimentary t. — toxemia due to absorption from the alimentary canal of chemical poisons generated therein; a form of autointoxication.
• pregnancy t. — see pregnancy toxemia.

Toxemia can mean:

• A generic term for the presence of toxins in the blood. It is not necessarily the same as Bacteremia. The toxins released by bacteria can enter the blood stream and can move throughout the body without any bacteria entering the blood stream. Pre-eclampsia, a serious condition in pregnancy that involves hypertension and proteinuria, may be caused by toxemia.
• A theory of alternative medicine which claims that all or most diseases are caused by the body accumulating toxins.

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