Me-lee-na or mel-a-na

[schizotypal]

I understand that as a 3rd year student my attending is never wrong, but my pathology and PD professors both pronounced melena as me-lee-na, so that's how I say it. My attending told me that pronunciation is incorrect, that it is mel-a-na. So I went home and looked it up in several dictionaries, and it seems that it can be pronounced either way.

What is the consensus from those actually using this term on a regular basis?

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[Winged Scapula]

I say "mel-a-nuh". "Me-lee-nuh" sounds like a girls name.😛

And I also say fem-a-rul. For some reason, I cannot stand it when I hear someone say "fem-oral"

 

[Eta Carinae]

I understand that as a 3rd year student my attending is never wrong, but my pathology and PD professors both pronounced melena as me-lee-na, so that's how I say it. My attending told me that pronunciation is incorrect, that it is mel-a-na. So I went home and looked it up in several dictionaries, and it seems that it can be pronounced either way.

What is the consensus from those actually using this term on a regular basis?

dude, this is your attending we're talking about.

If he wants you to say, "red sh**", you say, "56y/o cauc male h/o COPD, DM2, Mesenteric Ischemia, presents with 2 days of red sh**,"

 

[Winged Scapula]

dude, this is your attending we're talking about.

If he wants you to say, "red sh**", you say, "56y/o cauc male h/o COPD, DM2, Mesenteric Ischemia, presents with 2 days of red sh**,"

True dat.

What is more important is to be able to smell melena and hematemesis from a mile away. Hmmm...the MICU.

 

[schizotypal]

dude, this is your attending we're talking about.

If he wants you to say, "red sh**", you say, "56y/o cauc male h/o COPD, DM2, Mesenteric Ischemia, presents with 2 days of red sh**,"

oh no way in hell I'm arguing with him....I do want a job one day...just wanted to experience the feeling of not being wrong, just once 🙂

But as far as he is concerned it will be - "sir, thank you for teaching me the proper pronunciation, and sir, thanks to your guidance, I am now ready to eat my own melena and ask for seconds, sir"

 

[Apollyon]

Still, still, I can't find out from where comes "son-ti-meter", when it was always "sen-ti-meter" when I was growing up. It's even here in Hawai'i, with the 3 inch long centipedes (err..."son-ti-pedes"). Or, "the centipede was 7.5 son-ti-meters long".

 

[Winged Scapula]

Still, still, I can't find out from where comes "son-ti-meter", when it was always "sen-ti-meter" when I was growing up. It's even here in Hawai'i, with the 3 inch long centipedes (err..."son-ti-pedes"). Or, "the centipede was 7.5 son-ti-meters long".

I always figured it came from the French "centime"; not sure why medicine would adopt it and the general public would not though.

 

[Ludicolo]

Try specializing in "Physiatry"

 

[Apollyon]

I always figured it came from the French "centime"; not sure why medicine would adopt it and the general public would not though.

But, here in the US, it's one "sent" on the penny. It's not "one sont"!

And I am the only French speaking doctor I know right now; when I was a resident, there were several IM residents that spoke French (one because her mother is French), and when I was a med student, colleagues from Francophone countries (Cameroon and Cambodia) were speakers. If anything, med professionals balk/blanche/are repelled by anything French (in my anecdotes).

 

[Apollyon]

Try specializing in "Physiatry"

Physiatry...as to how I referred, and the response I received, right here on SDN:

"Physiatry - PM&R - 'Plenty of Money and Relaxation' - MY ASS!"

 

[Ashers]

But, here in the US, it's one "sent" on the penny. It's not "one sont"!

And I am the only French speaking doctor I know right now; when I was a resident, there were several IM residents that spoke French (one because her mother is French), and when I was a med student, colleagues from Francophone countries (Cameroon and Cambodia) were speakers. If anything, med professionals balk/blanche/are repelled by anything French (in my anecdotes).

Well, in HI, almost no one teaches French. My high schools taught Spanish, Japanese, Hawaiian, and ESL (where most of the kids spoke Tagalog -- at least in one of my schools).

Sontimeter drives me nuts. So does macro-fahg. Though, when I lived in England, a PhD said "macro-fahg" or "macro-fage" if you're posh.

 

[earmuff]

In Australia people said "muh lee nah" whereas here people tend to say "mel uh nuh"
not sure why... where did your attending train?

 

[deleted87716]

It's "muh-LEE-nuh."

http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/melena

That being said, I usually pronounce it "MEL-a-nuh."

Of course, I can get away with that now that I'm an attending. When I was a student, I pronounced everything the same way my attendings did. Even "SOHN-tuh-meter." Gag. 😉

 

[Eta Carinae]

oh no way in hell I'm arguing with him....I do want a job one day...just wanted to experience the feeling of not being wrong, just once 🙂

But as far as he is concerned it will be - "sir, thank you for teaching me the proper pronunciation, and sir, thanks to your guidance, I am now ready to eat my own melena and ask for seconds, sir"

👍

Very far...you will go.
(damn, I wish this thing could do Yoda voice effex)

or Mr Miyagi: Very good, Daniel son

 

[Eta Carinae]

i mean, Schizo son

 

[agranulocytosis]

Melenic stools is also a toughie. Meh-luh-nic or meh-lee-nic?

 

[maxheadroom]

Mel-a-what? Huh? Hmmm . . . I haven't seen that word in a long time. Here in Plastics we just say "Silicone". 😀

 

[Winged Scapula]

Mel-a-what? Huh? Hmmm . . . I haven't seen that word in a long time. Here in Plastics we just say "Silicone". 😀

How about "say-lean" vs "say-line"? I've heard both.😀

 

[Apollyon]

Melenic stools is also a toughie. Meh-luh-nic or meh-lee-nic?

Melanotic. I also thought "melenic" (meh-leh-nic), and, although linguistically correct, not accepted by doctors who refuse to admit when they are wrong (there is one guy at Duke, that, if you know him, you know exactly what I mean).

 

[Ashers]

How about "say-lean" vs "say-line"? I've heard both.😀

I worked with an orthopaedist who said "Nay-kuhl."

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Melanotic. I also thought "melenic" (meh-leh-nic), and, although linguistically correct, not accepted by doctors who refuse to admit when they are wrong (there is one guy at Duke, that, if you know him, you know exactly what I mean).

Although docs often say stool is "Melanotic", it's the wrong word. Unless your patient has metastatic melanoma to the bowel secreting melanin into the stool making it black.

 

[maxheadroom]

How about "say-lean" vs "say-line"? I've heard both.😀

Huh?? Say-what?? Saline is for IVs, not breast implants. 🙂

 

[Winged Scapula]

Huh?? Say-what?? Saline is for IVs, not breast implants. 🙂

I know, I know...I try and tell patients that myself and despite giving them the lack of evidence against silicone, many still prefer saline. Who cares about science when you have info you've heard from Aunt Martha's 3rd cousin?😳

 

[fab4fan]

True dat.

What is more important is to be able to smell melena and hematemesis from a mile away. Hmmm...the MICU.

Even more important is to be able to smell it without puking.

I hate the smell of a gi bleed in the morning.

 

[Apollyon]

Although docs often say stool is "Melanotic", it's the wrong word. Unless your patient has metastatic melanoma to the bowel secreting melanin into the stool making it black.

As I know, for the same reason you state - but, as I said, if you knew this ******* of an attending (works academics because he can't cut it in PP, and enjoys being "the big guy", and putting down residents), you would understand.

 

[error404]

Um-bil-AYE-cul just pisses me off.
Umbilical. It's a common word used by everyone. Why do doctors have to extend medicalese?

 

[Gastrapathy]

Although docs often say stool is "Melanotic", it's the wrong word. Unless your patient has metastatic melanoma to the bowel secreting melanin into the stool making it black.

OP, the attending is right (although not so much an A sound as just saying it like its spelled with a soft e, MEL-eh-na). Pathologists are wrong. (At least thats how every gastroenterologist says it and we can't be wrong).

Did hear a very famous gastroenterologist say melanotic at DDW last year. 'bout fell out of my chair, peaked around and no one else seemed to notice (small room, definitely said it but I guess no one wanted to react).

How 'bout jejunum (jay-junum or juh-junum).

 

[Gastrapathy]

Even more important is to be able to smell it without puking.

I hate the smell of a gi bleed in the morning.

Thats unamerican.

Melena smells like victory. Or, at least, like a college education for my kids.

 

[Laryngophed]

OP, the attending is right (although not so much an A sound as just saying it like its spelled with a soft e, MEL-eh-na). Pathologists are wrong. (At least thats how every gastroenterologist says it and we can't be wrong).

Did hear a very famous gastroenterologist say melanotic at DDW last year. 'bout fell out of my chair, peaked around and no one else seemed to notice (small room, definitely said it but I guess no one wanted to react).

How 'bout jejunum (jay-junum or juh-junum).

Or duodenum?

Do-wahd-enum vs. Duo-dee-hum

 

[fab4fan]

Thats unamerican.

Melena smells like victory. Or, at least, like a college education for my kids.

Nicely played!

 

[DrJosephKim]

It's "muh-LEE-nuh."

http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/melena

That being said, I usually pronounce it "MEL-a-nuh."

Of course, I can get away with that now that I'm an attending. When I was a student, I pronounced everything the same way my attendings did. Even "SOHN-tuh-meter." Gag. 😉

Are you British?

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Let's call the whole thing off...

😛