Hiperaguda

Hiperaguda is an adjective used in medical Spanish and Portuguese to describe a condition or episode that has an extremely abrupt and severe onset, typically developing within minutes to a few hours. It functions as a descriptor of tempo rather than a diagnosis, signaling urgency and the need for rapid clinical assessment and intervention. The term is applied in various specialties to emphasize the exceptional or unusually rapid progression of symptoms.

Etymologically, hiperaguda combines hyper- (over, excessive) with aguda (acute), with feminine agreement in languages like Spanish and Portuguese. In English-language medical literature, the closest equivalent is hyperacute, though this term is not as widely used in everyday clinical practice outside certain specialties.

Clinical use and limitations: hiperaguda is context-dependent and its meaning can vary by country, institution, and specialty. It is often found in notes, case reports, or glossaries to highlight the urgency of a presentation, such as rapidly evolving chest pain, sudden-onset neurological symptoms, or rapidly progressive infections. However, it is not a precise diagnostic category and should be interpreted alongside standard risk stratification and diagnostic workups. Because terminology can differ regionally, clinicians should rely on local conventions when describing onset tempo.

See also: acute, hyperacute, onset tempo, urgent clinical presentation. Hiperaguda tends to appear primarily in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking medical literature and may be translated or adapted differently in English-language sources.