Reye's syndrome
1
9.1
- noun
- /ˈraɪz ˈsɪnˌdroʊm/
- Specialized
- Parents are often warned about the risks of giving aspirin to children because it can lead to Reye's syndrome, a rare but serious condition.
Examples
-
Since 1986, every aspirin bottle sold in this country has carried a label warning that consumption by children with viral illnesses increases the chances of contracting Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially deadly disease.
Academic text (2005) -
The Food and Drug Administration mandated the warning after scientific studies showed that children with colds, flu, or chicken pox who took aspirin were more likely to develop Reye's syndrome than those who didn't.
Academic text (2005) -
But, they say, many children became disabled or died from Reye's syndrome while the aspirin industry fought the government's efforts.
Academic text (2005) -
He's in there right now with the doctor and they're saying that it's Reye's Syndrome.
-
Doctors are concerned about the sudden onset of symptoms that could indicate Reye's syndrome in children following a viral infection.
-
Awareness campaigns highlight that Reye's syndrome is a serious risk for children who take aspirin during illnesses like the flu.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Reye's + syndrome
The element 'syndrome' transparently signals a medical condition (a set of symptoms), so a learner who knows that word will infer this is an illness. However, 'Reye's' is an eponymic proper name with no lexical meaning, so the specific features and seriousness of the condition (brain swelling, liver dysfunction, post-viral onset) cannot be derived from the parts. This yields partial but not full predictability for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Reye's syndrome is named after Dr. R. Douglas Reye, the doctor who first described the illness in children in the 1960s, and so the name comes from his surname; he noticed the pattern of sudden brain swelling and liver trouble after a viral infection, so the phrase now refers to that rare, serious sickness following a virus.