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Medical slang is the use of
acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...
s and informal terminology to describe patients, other healthcare personnel and medical concepts. Some terms are pejorative. In
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
, medical slang has entered
popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
via television hospital and forensic science dramas such as '' ER'', ''
House M.D. ''House'' (also called ''House, M.D.'') is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network for eight seasons, from November 16, 2004, to May 21, 2012. The series' main character is G ...
'', '' NCIS'', ''
Scrubs Scrub(s) may refer to: * Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland * Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff * ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program * Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," o ...
'', and ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
'', and through fiction, in books such as ''The House of GoId'' by Samuel Shem (Stephen Joseph Bergman), ''Bodies'' by Jed Mercurio, and ''A Case of Need'' by Jeffery Hudson (Michael Crichton) Examples of pejorative language include ''bagged and tagged'' for a corpse, a reference to the intake process at a
mortuary A morgue or mortuary (in a hospital or elsewhere) is a place used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification (ID), removal for autopsy, respectful burial, cremation or other methods of disposal. In modern times, corpses have cus ...
; ''donorcycle'' for ''
motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
'' or ''PFO'' for ''pissed
drunk Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main ...
] and fell over''. Less offensive are the terms ''blue pipes'' for veins; ''cabbage'' for a heart bypass (''coronary artery bypass graft'' or CABG), and ''champagne tap'' for a flawless lumbar puncture, that is, one where
erythrocyte Red blood cells (RBCs), also referred to as red cells, red blood corpuscles (in humans or other animals not having nucleus in red blood cells), haematids, erythroid cells or erythrocytes (from Greek ''erythros'' for "red" and ''kytos'' for "holl ...
count is zero.


Limitations on use

In many countries, facetious or insulting acronyms are now considered unethical and unacceptable, and patients can access their medical records. Medical facilities risk being sued by patients offended by the descriptions. Another reason for the decline is that facetious acronyms could be confused with genuine medical terms and the wrong treatment administered. In one of his annual reports (related by the BBC), medical slang collector Adam Fox cited an example where a practitioner had entered “TTFO”, meaning “told to
fuck off Fuck off may also refer to: * ''Fuck Off'', an art exhibition that ran alongside the Shanghai Biennial Festival in 2000 * "Fuck Off", a 1977 song by Wayne County & the Electric Chairs * "Fuck Off", the preliminary title of "Le Freak", a 1978 so ...
”, on a patient’s chart. When questioned about the chart entry, the practitioner said that the initials stood for “to take fluids orally.” As a result, medical slang tends to be restricted to oral use and to informal notes or
E-mails Electronic mail (email or e-mail) is a method of exchanging messages ("mail") between people using electronic devices. Email was thus conceived as the electronic (digital) version of, or counterpart to, mail, at a time when "mail" meant ...
which do not form part of a patient’s formal records. It may also be used among medical staff outside of the hospital. It is not found on patients’ charts and, due to growing awareness of medical slang, often not used in front of patients themselves.


Non-English

Although online medical slang dictionaries are primarily from English-speaking countries, non-English medical slang has been collected by Fox from elsewhere. Brazilian medical slang includes ''PIMBA'' ("Pé Inchado Mulambo Bêbado Atropelado" meaning "swollen-footed, drunk, run-over beggar"), ''Poliesculhambado'' (multi-messed-up patient) and ''Trambiclínica'' (a "fraudulent clinic" staffed cheaply by medical students).


Annual round-up

There is an annual round-up of the usage of medical slang by British physician Dr. Adam Fox of St Mary's Hospital,
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. Fox has spent five years charting more than 200 examples, regional and national terms and the general decline of medical slang. He believes that doctors have become more respectful of patients, which has contributed to the decline. While its use may be declining in the medical profession, several dictionaries of the slang have been compiled on the internet.


See also

*
Acronyms in healthcare Acronyms are very commonly used in healthcare settings. They are formed from the lead letters of words relating to medications, organisations, procedures and diagnoses. They come from both English and Latin roots. Acronyms have been described as ja ...
*
List of medical abbreviations Abbreviations are used very frequently in medicine. They boost efficiency as long as they are used intelligently. The advantages of brevity should be weighed against the possibilities of obfuscation (making the communication harder for others ...


References


Further reading

* — Discussion of the "usage, derivation, and psychological, ethical, and legal aspects of slang terminology in medicine" as well as a glossary of common UK medical slang terms * * * * * * * * *{{cite web, url=http://www.messybeast.com/dragonqueen/medical-acronyms.htm, title=DOCTORS' SLANG, MEDICAL SLANG AND MEDICAL ACRONYMS, author=Dragonqueen — Medical Slang around the world
Online Housestaff Community
feature
Top 5 Annoying Medical Terms


External links






medical acronyms and slang
Occupational cryptolects
Slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-gro ...