fat embolism
1
7.5
- noun
- /fæt ˌɛmbəˈlɪzəm/
- Specialized
:
embolia grasa
- Fat embolism syndrome is a serious sequel of fat embolism that leads to an extensive scale of clinical symptoms and signs.
Examples
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A fat embolism can cause a blockage in the blood vessels, especially after a bone fracture.
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Fat embolism syndrome is a serious sequel of fat embolism that leads to an extensive scale of clinical symptoms and signs.
Academic text (2016) -
Fat embolism syndrome typically presents 24 to 72 hours after trauma.
Academic text (2016) -
Fat embolism
Academic text (2005) -
Fat embolism
Academic text (2005) -
Fat embolism, pulmonary embolism, and even hemorrhage may be life-threatening.
Academic text (2006) -
Fat embolism consists of the circulation of fat globules in the lung parenchyma and peripheral circulation after major trauma.
Academic text (2016) -
Studies using intraoperative TEE have detected fat embolism in 41% of patients during fixation of long bone fractures 92.
Academic text (2016) -
Long bone fractures, especially femur and tibia fractures, have a high incidence of causing fat embolism (Ganong, 1993).
Academic text (2007) -
The doctor explained that a fat embolism might occur following severe trauma or surgery.
Synonyms
17
8.1
A sudden blockage in a blood vessel by a clot or air bubble carried in the blood
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly built from 'fat' (oily tissue or fat globules) + 'embolism' (occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus), so the meaning 'an embolism caused by fat globules' is compositionally derivable. Although medical, this noun–noun construction follows a transparent, cross-linguistic pattern (an embolism of X), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the condition.
Etymology
Fat embolism comes from the image of small drops of fat breaking away, floating in the blood like tiny pebbles and getting stuck in a narrow vessel like a pipe. So the phrase means 'fat drops in the bloodstream that block blood flow', which can quickly cause serious harm.