April 28, 2014 - 2:39 PM
From "The Secret Language of Doctors," here is a partial list of slang terms used by some medical professionals in Canadian and U.S. hospitals:
Status dramaticus: A patient who loudly and dramatically magnifies symptoms to get quicker medical attention.
Horrendoma: Refers to a horrendous medical condition.
Beemer: A patient with a high body mass index (BMI), obese.
Yellow submarine: An obese patient with jaundice caused by cirrhosis of the liver.
Swallower: A term used for certain psychiatric patients.
Frequent flyer, cockroach: A person who turns up repeatedly at the emergency department with a variety of ailments.
FOOBA (Found on orthopedics barely alive): A patient who has had a joint operation, but has developed heart failure or another critical internal condition not recognized by the orthopedic surgeon.
GOMER (Get out of my emergency room): A patient frequently admitted to hospital with incurable conditions.
Circling the drain, PBAB (pine box at bedside): A patient who can't be saved and death is imminent.
Hanging crepe: Preparing family that patient is dying and cannot be saved.
Discharged to God or discharged to heaven: Patient has died.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014