acute disease
Short severe sickness
An acute disease is one that develops rapidly and runs a relatively short course, as opposed to a chronic disease that persists over time.
Acute conditions may be severe but are typically measured in days or weeks rather than months or years: acute bronchitis, acute appendicitis.
The term describes duration and onset, not necessarily severity—though the two often coincide.
- suddenOccurring without prior notice
- sudden onsetRapid unexpected beginning
- severeExtremely harsh or strict
- high feverElevated body temperature, alarming
- feverElevated body temperature
infection · onset · inflammation · crisis · medical emergency · emergency room · hospitalization · symptoms · contagious · viral · bacterial · flu season · outbreak · emergency · intensive · intensive care · critical · diagnosis