1. A sudden change, usually for the better, in the course of an acute disease, in contrast to the gradual improvement by lysis. 2. A paroxysmal pain in an organ or circumscribed region of the body occurring in the course of tabetic neurosyphilis. SYN: tabetic c.. 3. A convulsive attack. [G. krisis, a separation, c.]
- blast c. a sudden alteration in the status of a patient with leukemia in which the peripheral blood cells are almost exclusively blast cells of the type characteristic of leukemia; usually accompanied by a decrease in numbers of other formed elements of the blood, fever, and rapid clinical deterioration.
- blood c. 1. the appearance of a large number of nucleated red blood cells in the peripheral blood, accompanied by reticulocytosis and occurring in “exhausted” bone marrow in pernicious anemia and in hemolytic icterus; 2. a suddenly appearing leukocytosis, indicating a change for the better in the course of a grave blood disease.
- Dietl c. intermittent pain, sometimes with nausea and emesis, caused by intermittent proximal obstruction of ureter. Originally believed due to a mobile kidney that caused ureter to kink with positional changes. SYN: incarceration symptom.
- gastric c. an attack, usually lasting several days, with severe pain in the abdomen or around the waist, accompanied by nausea and vomiting and occasionally diarrhea; occurs in tabetic neurosyphilis.
- glaucomatocyclitic c. a form of monocular secondary open-angle glaucoma due to recurrent mild cyclitis.
- hemolytic c. massive hemolysis with severe anemia associated with hemolytic disease such as sickle cell disease.
- identity c. a disorientation concerning one's sense of self, values, and role in society, often of acute onset and related to a particular and significant event in one's life.
- laryngeal c. an attack of paralysis of the abductor, or spasm of the adductor, muscles of the larynx with dyspnea and noisy respiration, occurring in tabetic neurosyphilis.
- midlife c. a point in a sequence of events during the middle years of life at which certain trends of prior and subsequent events in one's life are pondered, generally involving an aggregate of personal, career, or sexual dissatisfactions.
- myasthenic c. severe, life-threatening exacerbation of the manifestations of myasthenia gravis requiring intensive treatment.
- myelocytic c. a temporary but conspicuous and sudden increase in cells of the myelocytic series in the circulating blood.
- oculogyric crises incapacitating attacks of upward eye rolling seen in encephalitis lethargica and with phenothiazine drugs.
- otolithic c. a sudden drop attack without loss of consciousness, vertigo, auditory disturbances, or autonomic manifestations.
- salt-depletion c. severe illness resulting from loss of sodium chloride, usually in urine ( i.e., salt-losing nephritis), in sweat following severe exercise in hot weather, or in intestinal secretions, as in cholera. Can occur as result of Addison disease or Addisonian c.; characterized by hypovolemia, hypotension.
- thyrotoxic c., thyroid c. the exacerbation of symptoms of hyperthyroidism; severe thyrotoxicosis; can follow shock or injury or thyroidectomy; marked by rapid pulse (140–170/minute), nausea, diarrhea, fever, loss of weight, extreme nervousness, and a sudden rise in the metabolic rate; coma and death may occur; occasionally the entire clinical picture is that of profound prostration, weakness, and collapse, without the phase of muscular overactivity and tachycardia. SYN: thyroid storm.
- vasoocclusive c. SYN: sickle cell anemia.
- visceral crises attacks of severe, spreading epigastric pain that occur in patients with tabetic neurosyphilis.
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1) the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or fever esp a sudden turn for the better (as sudden abatement in severity of symptoms or abrupt drop in temperature) compare LYSIS (1)
2) a paroxysmal attack of pain, distress, or disordered function <tabetic \crisis> <cardiac \crisis>
3) an emotionally significant event or radical change of status in a person's life
4) a psychological or social condition characterized by unusual instability caused by excessive stress and either endangering or felt to endanger the continuity of an individual or group esp such a social condition requiring the transformation of cultural patterns and values
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n.
1. the turning point of a disease, after which the patient either improves or deteriorates. Since the advent of antibiotics, infections seldom reach the point of crisis.
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cri·sis (kriґsis) pl. criґses [L., from Gr. krisis] 1. the turning point of a disease for better or worse; especially, a sudden change, usually for the better, in the course of an acute disease. A disease terminates by crisis when recovery is indicated by a sudden and definite decrease in the intensity of the symptoms. Cf. lysis (def. 4). 2. a sudden paroxysmal intensification of symptoms in the course of a disease.Medical dictionary. 2011.