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Glite Dictionary
Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome

Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome

9.9
A sudden very serious illness causing heavy bleeding, skin bruises, and adrenal gland failure after severe bacterial meningitis
  • noun
  • /ˈwɔːtərhaʊs ˈfraɪdərɪksən ˈsɪnˌdroʊm/
  • Specialized
: síndrome de Waterhouse-Friderichsen
  • The patient developed Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome after contracting bacterial meningitis, leading to rapid cardiovascular collapse.

Examples

  • Purpura and adrenal insufficiency are key symptoms associated with Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome.

  • Early recognition and treatment are crucial in cases of Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome to improve survival rates.

  • The patient was diagnosed with Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome after showing severe symptoms.

  • Doctors are concerned about the risk of Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome in cases of severe bacterial infections.

  • Early recognition and treatment are crucial in cases of Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome to improve survival rates.

  • Purpura and adrenal insufficiency are key symptoms associated with Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome.

  • Doctors are concerned about the risk of Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome in patients with severe bacterial infections.

Surface Forms

Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome singular
Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndromes plural

Morphology

Waterhouse-Friderichsen + syndrome

This is an eponymic medical name: the first element 'Waterhouse-Friderichsen' is a proper name with no transparent lexical meaning, while 'syndrome' only signals a set of symptoms. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words would not be able to infer the specific, technical clinical features or severity from the parts alone, so the term is unpredictable and language‑specific.

Etymology

Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome is named after two doctors who described patients who suddenly bled into their adrenal glands during severe infections. The strong picture of the glands filling with blood and the patient quickly going into 'adrenal failure' or 'shock' helps explain why the name now means this sudden, often deadly problem.