Okuzeka
Medicine vocabulary · Symptoms and Signs

Acute

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/əˈkjuːt/adjectiveCore term

In medicine, acute means: Starting suddenly and lasting a short time, often needing quick attention; the opposite of chronic.

In Turkish: akut, ani başlangıçlı

How it is used

Very common in diagnoses (acute appendicitis, acute kidney injury) and in the names of hospital units, such as the acute medical unit. 'Acute-on-chronic' describes a sudden worsening of a long-term problem.

Example sentences

  1. The CT confirmed acute appendicitis, so the surgeons took her to theatre that night.

  2. Is this an acute problem, or has it been going on for months?

Common collocations

  • acute onset
  • acute illness
  • acute-on-chronic
  • acute admission
  • acute pain
  • chronicLasting a long time, usually more than three months, or coming back again and again; used for diseases that are controlled rather than cured.
  • onsetThe moment or the way in which a symptom or illness begins, for example suddenly or slowly over several weeks.
  • emergency departmentThe hospital department, open 24 hours a day, that treats people with sudden illness or injury who need urgent care.
  • conditionAn illness or health problem, especially a long-term one; also the general state of a patient's health at a particular time.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Symptoms and Signs

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.