phlebitis
Meaning of phlebitis: Redness, warmth, swelling, and tenderness along a vein, most often in the leg, are the hallmark signs of phlebitis.
Definition of phlebitis
Phlebitis is inflammation of a vein, most often occurring in the legs, that produces localized redness, warmth, swelling, and tenderness along the affected vessel. It most commonly affects a vein located just beneath the skin, though deeper veins can also become inflamed.
The inflammation can result from a range of causes, including infection, direct injury to the vein such as from an intravenous line, prolonged immobility, or irritation from certain medications delivered through a vein. In many cases, phlebitis affecting a superficial vein is a limited, self-contained problem rather than a sign of a more serious underlying process.
Phlebitis affecting a vein deep within the leg is of greater concern, since inflammation in this setting is often related to or accompanied by a blood clot, which carries a risk of the clot traveling to the lungs. This distinction between superficial and deep vein involvement shapes how the condition is evaluated.
How phlebitis is built
- phleb/o Combining form · Greek vein
- -itis Suffix · Greek inflammation
A medical term is read from its ending backwards: the suffix first, then the prefix, then the root. See all 223 word parts.
Used in a sentence
The nursing assessment noted redness and tenderness along the vein, consistent with phlebitis at the intravenous site.
Good to know
Phlebitis affecting a superficial vein is generally a more limited problem than inflammation involving a deep vein, since deep vein involvement is often related to a blood clot capable of traveling to the lungs.
Word origin
Where “phlebitis” comes from
Formed from Greek phleps, phlebos, meaning vein, and the suffix -itis, meaning inflammation.