surgical slang...

[uncgargoyle]

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"Bible to Bedside, Pt. to study for final" - patient about to die
"High Velocity Transcranial Lead Therapy" - gsw to brain or what you would
like to order for a problem patient

 

[Samoa]

Overheard in the ER:

Somalgia - tendency of Somali pts to say they have pain everywhere you palpate.

 

[chrisisinnocent]

Overheard in the ER:

Somalgia - tendency of Somali pts to say they have pain everywhere you palpate.

AKA the Ai Ai Ais! which happens in Hispanic females that just yell Ai ai ai at the slightest touch (I like to call it HH short for Hysteria hispanica).

Retractor Glaze: semi-comatose state of the medical student that has been holding the retractor in the same position for the past 4 hours.

How cold people forget GORKed for God Only Really Knows

 

[DrDre311]

Not really slang, but when I was on my surgery rotation as a med student I had a resident who got paged all night for a vascular patient who was complaining of being depressed. Guy finally goes to see the patient after being paged ad nauseam and writes the following note:

S: Patient says he is depressed

O: Patient is depressed

A: Depression

P: Clown to bedside TID

 

[Kubed]

AKA the Ai Ai Ais! which happens in Hispanic females that just yell Ai ai ai at the slightest touch (I like to call it HH short for Hysteria hispanica).
...

In a "cultural sensitivity" class my school forced us all to go to, we learned HH and "status hispanicus." I think the point of the class was to encourage us not to use terms like that, but most of us just used it as an opportunity to take our offensiveness to a new and professional level.

 

[BlondeDocteur]

Not really slang, but when I was on my surgery rotation as a med student I had a resident who got paged all night for a vascular patient who was complaining of being depressed. Guy finally goes to see the patient after being paged ad nauseam and writes the following note:

S: Patient says he is depressed

O: Patient is depressed

A: Depression

P: Clown to bedside TID

That is quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever read here. I do hope he was rewarded.

 

[Castro Viejo]

Not really slang, but when I was on my surgery rotation as a med student I had a resident who got paged all night for a vascular patient who was complaining of being depressed. Guy finally goes to see the patient after being paged ad nauseam and writes the following note:

S: Patient says he is depressed

O: Patient is depressed

A: Depression

P: Clown to bedside TID

That's a really bad idea. Funny as hell, but a really, really bad idea.

 

[Chronic Student]

I'm with you.

I think clowns are scary as hell!

 

[DrDre311]

yeah, the guy had a sit-down with the PD a few days later and that nurse never liked him since. But man, seeing someone actually have the balls to do that was so unbelievably hilarious that I had to tell the story.

 

[Blade28]

Yeah we have these clown musicians that roam the Peds hospital here.

BAD idea, IMHO. First, I'm terrified of clowns. (Ever seen "It"?) Second, imagine if you're a little kid, intubated and sedated in the PICU. You occasionally swim into consciousness and what do you see? A freaky clown peering over your bed! That's enough to give you PTSD.

 

[maxheadroom]

We all float down here.

 

[danielmd06]

Bump.

I missed this thread and was wondering if anyone had any new ones to share...

 

[OtoHNS]

So awesome.

Not really slang, but when I was on my surgery rotation as a med student I had a resident who got paged all night for a vascular patient who was complaining of being depressed. Guy finally goes to see the patient after being paged ad nauseam and writes the following note:

S: Patient says he is depressed

O: Patient is depressed

A: Depression

P: Clown to bedside TID

 

[45408]

Fem-Far Away: For the "Fem-distal bypasses."

Fem-Pop, Fem-Clot, Fem-Chop: The other variation I've heard used.

And the ever present, "Strong Work," used to congratulate any junior who's gone above and beyond the senior's orders and performed some menial task that's taken a big burden off: a) The Surgical Chief Resident, b) any senior, c) the entire surgical team and attendings.

oh man, that sums up my entire first month as an intern great thread revival. I really don't appreciate how much slang we use until you read it.

 

[ESU_MD]

TRAUMA TRIPLE: trach, peg, ivc filter

TRAUMA GRANDSLAM HOMERUN: trach, peg, ivc filter, withdrawal of care... double points if all this can occur within 24hrs of each other

 

[LucidSplash]

"Looks great, everyone's going to want one."

-Said after any surgery, but especially after an amputation or exlap or any surgery where the scar will be enormous and obvious (and I've also taken to using it after some of my more complex forehead lac repairs performed on drunk trauma patients).

 

[45408]

TRAUMA TRIPLE: trach, peg, ivc filter

TRAUMA GRANDSLAM HOMERUN: trach, peg, ivc filter, withdrawal of care... double points if all this can occur within 24hrs of each other

Hmmm, our trauma triple usually was trach, PEG and a bolt or ICP monitor.

 

[Ronin2258]

Box: The patient dying "This dying patient is going to box tonight." Derived from the box-like gurney the morgue sends up for the patient.

GI rounds: Rounds at breakfast.

North Side: Anesthesia. In regards to the head being above the ether screen.

South Side: Surgery field.

Vascular Climb/Vascular Creep: The gradual higher level of amputation of the extremities as management fails in a vasculopathic patient.

Nectar of the Gods: Any drink with caffeine or boost (energy drinks.)

Two Dudes Story: The patient's history in an assault/trauma. The quote goes, "I was minding my own business, when two dudes..." The idea of one dude implies the patient is a wuss, and three dudes is an attempt of invoking sympathy.

Punchline: The main reason for a consult. Usually used when an overzealous intern called for a consult and starts presenting the full patient first.
Intern: This is a xx-year old person with x, y, z...
Consultant: Give me the punchline. What do you need from us?

A Few For the Road: Anesthesiology reference to medications carried with the CT patient as they walk out of the OR and walk them to the CCU/ICU.


DISCLAIMER: The following I have heard from people over the years describing certain specialities.

-God Squad: CT team. Named for the fact they kill the patient (cardioplegics,) and bring them back to life.

-Mental Masturbators: Internal Medicine. Called due to the fact they talk forever about the implications of a potassium of 4.0 becoming 4.1.

-Fleas: Internal Medicine. Brought about by both being the last things to leave the dying patient, and the fact they will suck the patient dry for blood tests. (Yes, there was a grand dislike of people I hung around with for people who talked and didn't get to the point and do something.)

-Carpenters/Tim Allens: Orthopedic Surgeons. I think this is self-explanatory.

-Rippers: OB/GYN. Most GYN cases that have been encountered by friends and myself have looked like the aftermath of a mass murder (ala Jack the Ripper.)

 

[Winged Scapula]

Hmmm, our trauma triple usually was trach, PEG and a bolt or ICP monitor.

Ours too...for some reason we referred to it as the "trauma train". Never did figure that one out.

 

[Guile]

Box: The patient dying "This dying patient is going to box tonight." Derived from the box-like gurney the morgue sends up for the patient.

I've also heard this as a transitive verb, as in "I almost boxed Mr. Smith when I put a hole in his aorta."

 

[Guile]

-Fleas: Internal Medicine. Brought about by both being the last things to leave the dying patient, and the fact they will suck the patient dry for blood tests. (Yes, there was a grand dislike of people I hung around with for people who talked and didn't get to the point and do something.)

Also heard this in reference to the way they "jump" around the patient's bedside to perform lots of antiquated physical exam maneuvers.

 

[Ronin2258]

I've also heard this as a transitive verb, as in "I almost boxed Mr. Smith when I put a hole in his aorta."

So have I. I have actually used the term when I was calling a senior to the bedside for an emergent intubation I had to do.

"Senior, she is boxing. I got to tube her."

 

[Encephalectomy]

Also heard this in reference to the way they "jump" around the patient's bedside to perform lots of antiquated physical exam maneuvers.

also, stethoscope around the neck = flea collar

 

[danielmd06]

A few from non-surgical specialties...couldn't resist.

VD: Abbreviation for "vague dizziness." The bane of neurologists everywhere. Not to be confused with venereal disease.

Tripolar: A great one from an attending. He asked me, "Dan, why is this patient bipolar?" Me: "I don't know." Him: "Because she can't be tripolar." A bit silly, but really funny at the time.

ER mullet: When you wear khaki pants with a scrub top. It looks best when you clip two pagers, a cell phone, and a walkie-talkie to your belt.

Peds mullet: When you wear scrub bottoms with a hoodie. Looks best when you have a clip-on animal attached to your stethoscope.

"Intuitively obvious": What an attending says in way of explanation when they don't know the real answer. You know it's the end of the discussion when you hear it. Ex: "Well, Dan...it's intuitively obvious that ..."

 

[Guile]

ER mullet: When you wear khaki pants with a scrub top. It looks best when you clip two pagers, a cell phone, and a walkie-talkie to your belt.

Peds mullet: When you wear scrub bottoms with a hoodie. Looks best when you have a clip-on animal attached to your stethoscope.

These are funniest because they are SO TRUE.

 

[45408]

ER mullet: When you wear khaki pants with a scrub top. It looks best when you clip two pagers, a cell phone, and a walkie-talkie to your belt.

Peds mullet: When you wear scrub bottoms with a hoodie. Looks best when you have a clip-on animal attached to your stethoscope.

Ugh, we've got one ER attending who always wears the ER mullet.

OB residents frequently rock the hoodie/scrubs, and I've gotta say, the girls in surgery tend to do it pretty often too. I'm always warm enough with undershirt+scrubs+white coat.

 

[Guile]

Ugh, we've got one ER attending who always wears the ER mullet.

Only one?

OB residents frequently rock the hoodie/scrubs, and I've gotta say, the girls in surgery tend to do it pretty often too. I'm always warm enough with undershirt+scrubs+white coat.

You've got to drop the undershirt and let the Burt Reynolds' manliness spill out the top like a boss.

 

[Ronin2258]

Ugh, we've got one ER attending who always wears the ER mullet.

OB residents frequently rock the hoodie/scrubs, and I've gotta say, the girls in surgery tend to do it pretty often too. I'm always warm enough with undershirt+scrubs+white coat.

It was Peds all the way where I've seen them.

You've got to drop the undershirt and let the Burt Reynolds' manliness spill out the top like a boss.

I was taught in Scrub Tech school not to wear undershirts.

Though with the Pacific basin genetics, I just show off the big...pectoral...muscles (sorry, channelling Ren from Ren and Stimpy here.)

 

[LucidSplash]

You've got to drop the undershirt and let the Burt Reynolds' manliness spill out the top like a boss.

Ew. What's REALLY gross is those that rock the undershirt and STILL have the fur spilling out. And you can see it even when they're scrubbed. Ew. Ew ew ew.

 

[Guile]

Whatever. Half the reason I'm doing surgery is I get to wear pajamas and walk around with my chest hair hanging out most days.

Just for you, LucidSplash.

I do dress up for clinic though.

 

[blue2000]

Fem-floor: to describe a very distal bypass (essentially destined to fail)

Trauma train: to describe the protracted ER work up of a complex polytrauma patient including CTs, plain films, consults, splinting, bolting, etc

One of my attending's used VOMIT (victim of medical imaging technology) to describe the consults that are generated based on a CT scan with no correlating clinical situation

Goat-rodeo: when things. don't. go. well.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Though with the Pacific basin genetics, I just show off the big...pectoral...muscles (sorry, channelling Ren from Ren and Stimpy here.)

Ronin2258:

 

[wrendog1015]

Acroynms that all ERs/ Resusc rooms across the nation need...

D.W.O.- "Driving While Old." Used to describe octogenarians driving their '89 Cadillac into (a) tree (b) pole (c) 7-11 plate glass window/ cashier counter or (d) bus full of nuns

W.W.O.- "Walking While Old." Used to describe patients >- 70 who fall from standing and suffer acute on chronic subdurals. See "Why I want to be a neurosurgeon text; chapter 11 "Things that suck"

Modifier -O.C.- "On Coumadin." To be applied to either of the above. See "Why I want to be a neurosurgeon" text; chapter 12 "Stop paging me" and "Why I want to be a trauma surgeon" text; chapter 13 "Babysitting: at least it pays well."

 

[danielmd06]

Goat-rodeo: when things. don't. go. well.

This totally reminded me of two more surgerisms.

Goatf**k: When a case has a high potential catastrophe index...or actaully degenerates into an unmitigated disaster. Best used as a noun.

Goat-roping: Performing a ludicrously difficult feat with incredible skill or dexterity. "For my next goat-roping exercise I will..."

 

[former military]

IWDWWC- it was dry when we closed
riding the silver stallion- using the rigid cystoscope on a dude
hollywooding- taking both pieces of tissue with a single needle driver move

i remember as an intern being in the icu in the room of a head injury patient. family was trying to agree on discontinuation of support and organ donor status... my chief resident walked out and told me to "consult Jesus".

guilty dick syndrome: anyone with unexplained erectile dysfunction or dysuria after an extra marital affair who really didn't have anything wrong with them.

 

[maxheadroom]

i remember as an intern being in the icu in the room of a head injury patient. family was trying to agree on discontinuation of support and organ donor status... my chief resident walked out and told me to "consult Jesus".

I've heard this called the "Jeebus consult"

 

[Ronin2258]

Ronin2258:

View attachment 15592

😀

 

[jasb66]

Smurf = cyanotic pt
Simpson = jaundiced pt
Patient is on Hi5 = HIV pt

 

[Guile]

Smurf = cyanotic pt

Or the guy who abuses colloidal silver.

 

[jasb66]

Or the guy who abuses colloidal silver.

Hilarious

Pt is FOS = full of s**t/stool: intraoperative finding suggesting laxative inefficiency.

 

[45408]

I was taught in Scrub Tech school not to wear undershirts.

I've never experienced chafed nipples until I spent an entire call shift in a scrub top with no undershirt.

 

[Guile]

I've never experienced chafed nipples until I spent an entire call shift in a scrub top with no undershirt.

You didn't take overnight call as a medical student? Maybe your scrubs are really rough. They must be like burlap sacks. I never wear undershirts and have never come close to that being a problem.

 

[Winged Scapula]

You didn't take overnight call as a medical student? Maybe your scrubs are really rough. They must be like burlap sacks. I never wear undershirts and have never come close to that being a problem.

Maybe The Prowler has girly sensitive nipples.

 

[Guile]

Maybe The Prowler has girly sensitive nipples.

In that case, he needs the BRO.

 

[Ronin2258]

I've never experienced chafed nipples until I spent an entire call shift in a scrub top with no undershirt.

You didn't take overnight call as a medical student? Maybe your scrubs are really rough. They must be like burlap sacks. I never wear undershirts and have never come close to that being a problem.

There were a few places that had the feel of medium to medium-fine sandpaper, but I still won't do t-shirts under the scrubs.

 

[45408]

You didn't take overnight call as a medical student? Maybe your scrubs are really rough. They must be like burlap sacks. I never wear undershirts and have never come close to that being a problem.

Where I went to med school, we have softer scrub tops, and I usually wore an undershirt then anyways.

Maybe The Prowler has girly sensitive nipples.

I dunno, you're the breast surgeon, you can take a look.

 

[45408]

In that case, he needs the BRO.

The Bro is for moobs, not sensitive nipples.

 

[Guile]

The Bro is for moobs, not sensitive nipples.

It'll give you the protection you need though.

 

[45408]

I prefer the Manzierre anyways.

 

[Ronin2258]

The above banter is one of the many reasons I *LOVE* the operating room and its culture.
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